Cedar Waxwings are elegant social birds that are pale brown on the head, chest, and crest, which fade to gray on the back and wing. Their tail has a yellow tip.
Their belly is pale yellow and bright yellow towards the tail. They have a narrow black mask over their eyes and bright red on the wingtips.
- Bombycilla cedrorum
- Length: 5.5 – 6.7 in (14 – 17 cm)
- Weight: 1.1 oz (32 g)
- Wingspan: 8.7 – 11.8 in (22 – 30 cm)
Range
Cedar Waxwings remain all year in the northern half of the US. Those that breed in Canada migrates to the southern half of the US for winter.
Habitat And Diet
They make a high-pitched call and can be found in woodlands and streams. They are also found in old fields, desert washes, and in towns and suburbs with a lot of berry trees.
Cedar Waxwings usually eat fruits all year, particularly strawberries, mulberry, raspberries, and cedar berries in winter. In summer, they eat insects like mayflies and dragonflies which they capture in flight.
Cedar Waxwing Call:
Nests
Nests of Cedar Waxwings are built by females using twigs, grasses, blossoms, and other materials. The nests are usually on forks of a horizontal branch high up in a tree. They will line the insides with fine roots, grasses, and pine needles. The females may lay two to six eggs that take around two weeks to hatch.
Attract Cedar Waxwings
Attract them to your backyard by planting native trees and shrubs with small fruit such as serviceberry, dogwood, juniper, winterberry, and hawthorn. You can also try fruit on platform feeders.
Fun Fact:
Cedar Waxwings are one of the few birds that can live on fruit alone for several months. At times, they may become intoxicated and die, especially when they eat overripe berries that have begun to ferment and produce alcohol.