Cedar Waxwing
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Cedar Waxwing
Conservation statusScientific classificationKingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Passeriformes
Family:
Bombycillidae
Genus:
Bombycilla
Species:
B. cedrorum
Binomial nameBombycilla cedrorum
Vieillot,
1808
SynonymsAmpelis cedrorum
The
Cedar Waxwing (
Bombycilla cedrorum) is a member of the
family Bombycillidae or waxwing family of
passerine birds. It breeds in open wooded areas in
North America, principally southern
Canada and the
northern United States.
Contents
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[edit] Description
Cedar waxwings are approximately 6–7 in (15–18 cm) in length and weigh roughly 30 grams. They are smaller and more brown than their close relative, the
Bohemian Waxwing (which breeds further to the north and west).
These birds' most prominent feature is a small cluster of bright red feathers on the wings, a feature they share with the
Bohemian Waxwing (but not the
Japanese Waxwing). The tail is typically yellow or orange depending on diet. Birds that have fed on berries of introduced
Eurasian honeysuckles while growing tail feathers will have darker orange-tipped tail-feathers. Adults have a pale yellow belly. Immature birds are streaked on the throat and flanks, and often do not have the black mask of the adults.
During courtship the male and female will sit together and pass small objects back and forth, such as flower petals or an insect. Mating pairs will sometimes rub their beaks together affectionately.
The flight of waxwings is strong and direct, and the movement of the flock in flight resembles that of a flock of small pale
European Starlings.
[edit] Vocalizations
The calls of these birds include very high-pitched whistles and buzzy trills often represented as
see or
sree. Cedar waxwings fly at 25miles per hour and fly at the altitude of 2000 ft. above ground
[edit] Seasonal movements
Outside the breedings season, Cedar Waxwings often feed in large flocks numbering hundreds of birds. This species is irruptive, with erratic winter movements, though most of the population
migrates further south into the
United States and beyond, sometimes reaching as far as northern
South America. They will move in huge numbers if berry supplies are low. Rare vagrants have reached
western Europe, and there are two recorded occurrences of Cedar Waxwing sightings in
Great Britain. Individual Bohemian Waxwings will occasionally join large winter flocks of Cedar Waxwings.
Birds in winter can be very confident and will come into
gardens for berry bushes and trees and to splash and drink from fountains or bird baths.
Migratory Cedar Waxwing
spotted in Rockwall, TX.
[edit] Diet
The Cedar Waxwing eats
berries and sugary
fruit year-round, with
insects becoming an important part of the diet in the breeding season. Its fondness for the small cones of the
Eastern Redcedar (a kind of
juniper) gave this bird its common name.
When the end of a twig holds a supply of berries that only one bird at a time can reach, members of a flock may line up along the twig and pass berries beak to beak down the line so that each bird gets a chance to eat.[
citation needed]
[edit] Habitat
Preferred habitat consists of trees at the edge of wooded areas, or "open" forests, especially those that provide access to berry sources as well as water. Waxwings are attracted to the sound of running water, and love to bathe and drink from shallow creeks. In urban or suburban environments, waxwings often favor parkland with well-spaced trees, golf courses, cemeteries, or other landscaping with well-spaced trees, bushes that provide berries, and a water source, including fountains or birdbaths, is always a big plus.
Cedar Waxwing
perched in the branches of a Weeping Holly tree.
[edit] Nesting
The nest is a loose open cup built with grass and twigs, lined with softer materials and supported by a tree branch averaging 2 to 6 meters above ground but, at times, considerably higher. The outer diameter of the nest is approximately 12 cm to 16 cm.
During courtship, the pair may pass a flower petal or insect back and forth repeatedly. Usually 5 or 6 eggs are laid and the female
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