An elegant social bird named for the waxy red tips on their secondary feathers. They form tight flocks that roam following berry crops, sometimes passing food beak-to-beak in courtship rituals.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The cedar waxwing is a member of the family Bombycillidae or waxwing family of passerine birds. It is a medium-sized bird that is mainly brown, gray, and yellow. Some of the wing feathers have red tips which resemble sealing wax, giving these birds their common name. It is a native of North and Central America, breeding in open wooded areas in southern Canada and wintering in the southern half of the United States, Central America, and the far northwest of South America. Its diet includes cedar cones, fruit, holly berries, and insects. The cedar waxwing is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List.
Source: Wikipedia — Cedar waxwing Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Sleek silky brown bird with crested head; black mask; bright yellow tail tip; small red waxy wing tips (in older birds); pale yellow wash on belly.
Similar species. Bohemian Waxwing (larger, gray belly, rusty undertail). No other US bird looks similar.
Voice. Very high-pitched buzzy "sreeee" calls in flock; no true song.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Berries (60%+ of diet — cedar, juniper, mountain ash, mistletoe, mulberry, raspberry, dogwood); insects in spring/summer (caught by flycatching).
Behavior. Among the few US birds that can subsist almost entirely on fruit — gut adapted to handle high-sugar diet. Pairs exchange berries during courtship, passing them back and forth bill-to-bill. Distinctive red waxy wing-tip droplets (modified feather barbules) develop with age — number and size of "drops" indicate individual quality to mates. Occasionally become "drunk" on fermented berries during cold snaps.
§ Range
Throughout most of North America
§ Habitat
Open woodlands, orchards, suburbs with berry-producing trees
§ Threats
Window strikes (especially after fermented-berry feeding), pesticide-treated ornamental berries, climate-driven berry shifts.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the cedar waxwing is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Plant native berry trees (serviceberry, cedar). Use bird-safe windows. Choose ornamentals not treated with neonicotinoids.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Cedar waxwing
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Bombycilla cedrorum
- IUCN Red List · taxon 22708153
- iNaturalist · taxon 8000
- eBird · cedwax
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Bombycilla cedrorum
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab — All About Birds
- Project FeederWatch
- National Audubon Society
- IUCN Red List 2018
