Cedar Waxwing

The Cedar Waxwing is a common, but irregular bird in any habitat where fruit and other foods such as tree buds, flowers and insects are found. It is named for the red, wax like tips on the secondary flight feathers of adult birds. It breeds in Canada approximately east to west between the 60th and 49th parallel and winters in the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and northwestern South America.

Adult Male (spring/summer)

Warm brown head, nape and crest, which often droops, with striking black mask lined with white on cheek and forehead. Back and wing coverts darker brown, primary flight feathers gray, secondaries gray with red wax like tips and white inner edge on tertials. Rump gray, tail dark gray with yellow tips. Chest brown, yellow wash across belly and white undertail coverts. Eyes, beak and feet black.

Adult Female (spring/summer)

Similar to adult male.

Juvenile

Short crest and mottled dusky, especially on chest. Overall, duller than adult.

General:

Smooth, sleek and crested passerine. Length: 14-17cm. Wing: 22-30. Weight: 32grams.

Behaviour:

Sugary fruits dominate the diet of the Cedar Waxwing most of the year, but it adds insects to its diet during the summer, gleaning them from vegetation or capturing them near streams or ponds by aerial sallies from exposed perches. Its flocking and unpredictable nomadic movements are typical of animals that feed on patchily distributed foods, such as fruits.

Habitat:

Cedar Waxwings are usually found in mixed forests and edges where their favorite foods of berries and insects are found. They are found in the proximity to humans, as there is usually an abundance of berries in the Orchards and city parks. In winter they are most abundant around fruiting plants in open woodlands, parks, gardens, forest edges and second-growth forests.

Information:

Cedar Waxwings nest in both rural and urban environments and, exhibit a much lower level of return to former breeding sites than other passerines. Often the nest is in close proximity to humans, perhaps because of the greater likelihood of finding fruits or berries when needed. Most arrive on their breeding ground in late May and early June. Autumn departure is usually in late August and September, but if rearing second broods, may be into October. The nest consists of a loose configuration of twigs and grass woven onto a horizontal branch and bolstered with mosses and lichens. The clutch is3-6 blue-grey dotted eggs. The Cedar Waxwing is the latest bird to initiate nesting as they time it to have ripe fruit for nestlings. Voice: Often heard before they are seen their call is a high sibilant see-e-e , sometimes lightly trilled.

Similar species: Bohemian Waxwing.

Conservation Status:

Listed as Least Concern. Populations are stable.

Capture Rates

Capture rates of Cedar Waxwing peak in late spring through summer (May – September). Prominent fruit eaters, high numbers of waxwings were caught in June corresponding to the peak of fruiting shrubs like elderberry at Colony Farm. Cedar Waxwing are medium distance migrants, moving south for the winter as seen by our zero capture rate between October – April.

Molt Summary:

PF: HY partial, PB: AHY/ASY complete, PA absent – Preformative molt usually includes few IF ANY wing covs, and no terts or rects.

Look for occasional AHY/ASY’s to retain 1-4 ss (among s3-s6).

Hatch Year (HY) birds in juvenile plumage have whitish chins, heavy streaking to the underparts, loosely textured feathers, soft, pale gapes, duller irises and paler bills (photos below).