Cedar Waxwing
- Chao Wu
- Oct 15, 2015
- 2 min read
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
For some of us, this is a year round resident in our neighborhoods. For others, it’s a winter resident which plucks fruit from trees. And for those in parts of Canada and extreme Northeastern United States, this is only a summer breeder.
Cedar waxwings are always a treat to see and photograph. They are very immaculate and have an extremely silky, clean coloration. The species is extremely social and one often finds them gathered in flocks, feeding on various fruits.
They are so named because of the reddish, waxy secretions on the tips of their secondaries, but the function of these secretions is still debated.
Usually, the tip of their tail feathers are yellowish in coloration. However, since the 1960's, some individuals in the Northeastern part of the US (and SE Canada) have begun growing orange feathers - a direct result of pigment from an introduced plant's fruits (honeysuckle species I believe).
Fruit is largely part the cedar waxwing's diet. It is one of the few North American birds which can survive for extended periods of time on fruit and only fruit. However, even they occasionally supplement their diets with insects.
Cedar waxwings inhabit both coniferous and deciduous forest, including mixed woodlands. Riparian corridors, grasslands and desert oases are also acceptable habitats. Due to ornamental fruiting plants in cities and suburban areas, this species has increased its presence in human altered environments. They appear to also have a preference for streams in some areas.
Because of such adaptation, this waxwing has increased in many parts of the United States over the last few decades, which means it is not often a bird considered for extreme conservation measures.
The best way to attract them to your yard is by planting native fruiting trees and shrubs. While cedar waxwings will consume many species of fruit, both native and non-native, for the sake of conservation and biological protection, it is best to plant native species.
The one other confusion species is the Bohemian waxwing, which is larger, bulkier and has a gray belly (instead of the yellow on the cedar). It also has a rufous undertail (white undertail on cedar).
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