Weekend Birding: Cedar Waxwing
Cedar Waxwings are a medium-sized bird found throughout North America. They migrate in the spring and fall but a population of Waxwings does remain year-round in the northern half of the US. They are a beautiful, silky looking brown, gray, and lemon-yellow color with a black mask, a crest on the top of their head, and red wax drops on their wing tips.
Last weekend brought a rare treat to my yard when a flock of about 50 Waxwings descended upon my Eastern Red Cedar tree. I love watching these sleek, acrobatic birds as they flutter through the branches gobbling down berries.
The photo above is a young, immature bird. The feathers are not fully developed. The coloring on the underparts is mottled, the black mask does not go all the way across the eyes, there are no black feathers under the chin and the crest is small.
The second photo is an adult. Males and females look almost the same with females having less black under the chin.
Waxwings are usually seen in woodland areas sitting in fruit trees or occasionally chasing after insects. They will venture into suburban gardens in search of berries but they don’t go to feeders. Eating all that fruit must have made them thirsty because the bird bath was a very popular gathering place. (click photo for sharper view)
Interesting Facts:
- Building a nest takes a female Cedar Waxwing 5 to 6 days and may require more than 2,500 individual trips to the nest.
- They occasionally save time by taking nest materials from other birds’ nests.
- Waxwings can survive on fruit alone for several months.
- Waxwings are susceptible to intoxication and even death due to eating fermented berries.
I link up my bird photos on Saturday Snapshot hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
Under My Apple Tree 
i never knew birds could be so interesting! thanks for sharing those gorgeous photos and detailed facts!
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I always learn something from your Weekend Birding Posts. I’ve never heard of waxwings before. How fabulous to have a whole flock land in your backyard. And you got some lovely pictures as ever.
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I was happy they stayed for a while. Gave me a chance to get some photos.
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50 Waxwings! That’s a lot of birds!
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When I stood back and looked at the entire tree it was like a “Where’s Waldo?” of birds!
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For me, most of the birds you feature on your blog, are exotic! I love seeing their pictures and learning new things.
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I don’t think of them as exotic but you’re right, to anyone outside of North America they would be. And when I travel I’m always amazed at the different birds that I see.
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I love seeing your bird photos – so different from the birds I see in my garden.
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They are awesome…and I love the tree, too! Amazing…thanks for sharing the photos and the intriguing facts.
Here’s MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT and
MY WEBSITE
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Great shots! So cool you caught them with the berry (?) in their mouth.
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I love your photos. I think I lack the patience to get really good shots sometimes and envy people who seem to be able to do it every time!
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Thanks. I have to take a lot of shots to get clear ones. These birds moved so fast half of my pictures were blurred or had a bird with it’s head stuck in between the branches!
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I love coming here and getting my bird lesson each week! Truly. I’m allergic to mountain cedar but I wonder if I would be sensitive to this one. Allergic to the pollen I mean.
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I’m allergic to some tree pollen too. I was blaming the Cottonwood but maybe the Cedar is making me sneeze too. Difficult to tell with all the plants I have growing in my yard!
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Your pictures are like postcards. Love them. This bird reminds me of winter for some reason
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I’m so impressed that you captured them with berries in their mouths. Great photos, as usual.
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Loved the bird pictures and your write up. I learned so much!
Here is my Saturday Snapshot post!
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Wonderful! I love the group photo! 🙂
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That is so cool that they made a stop in your backyard!
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Such great photos – thanks for sharing!
Here’s my snapshot!
And while you’re there, check out my guest posts: Glenn Gamble and Jake Bannerman
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These photos are so beautiful. You are a very talented photographer, Leslie. You could publish these in a nature book or magazine.
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I’d need a better lens for magazine shots… but maybe I’ll make a calendar some day. I keep saying that.
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A friend told me of watching Cedar Waxwings passing berries down a line of birds – mouth to mouth sharing. She was charmed, as you can imagine.
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They are delightful to watch. They weren’t fighting over the food like some birds do. Just one big flock all eating and playing together.
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Such fabulous photos! They could be on cards.
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Gorgeous pictures! I used to love bird watching.
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I bet you see a lot of birds on your bike rides. Trails and the forest edge are the best places to find them.
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You always have such great pictures of birds. They’re always a joy to see.
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The female Waxwings are serious about their nests! I love the photo of the little one with the food in its mouth, the bird is so cute and looks quite different from the adult but I can see their connection in the black around the eyes of both. Its fascinating that when the little guy becomes an adult the black mask will be all around his eyes.
Thank you for sharing!
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Thanks for the education of the cutie Leslie. Very nice captures.
Thanks for your expression of sympathy at the loss of our cat Libby:(
Have a wonderful Sunday!
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Beautiful photos of these wonderful birds!
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I absolutely love (and look forward to) your gorgeous bird photography! Lovely as always!
Here’s my snapshot: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2011/10/saturday-snapshot-october-8.html
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Wonderful, perfect photos.
They are such an impressive looking bird, they’ve always struck me as the type of person who is typically well-dressed. When I was a kid there were so many of these beauties around our house, but I honestly don’t think I have seen any since. I’ve always felt some sort of mysterious kinship with them, and now that I read this thing about frequent “intoxication” it’s all coming together!
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What a beautiful bird. And thanks for the fact, too.
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