Daily Bird: Cedar Waxwing

Cedar Waxwing, courtesy of Patrick J. Lynch.

April 7, 2020
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Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum

Originally published March 22, 2018. We’ve added this exquisite new photo courtesy of Patrick J. Lynch, author, illustrator, and Connecticut Audubon Board member.

By Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe, Bird Conservation Programs Manager, Audubon Connecticut
One of the things that makes Cedar Waxwing exciting is that because of its nomadic nature you never quite know when you’ll come across these crested beauties.

Where to Find them: In late winter and early spring, look for Cedar Waxwings feasting on the blue berries of the Eastern Red Cedar. Other trees to scan include dogwoods, winterberry, and serviceberry. If you want to see Cedar Waxwings in your own yard, consider planting one of these native trees or shrubs.

Because they’re so nomadic, they’re likely to turn up almost anywhere. To increase your chances of finding one, learn their distinctive call.

Cedar Waxwings nest in a variety of habitats, from woodland edges to stream sides to overgrown fields to suburban yards. The most common feature of their habitat is fruiting trees and shrubs. While the Cedar Waxwing will dine on insects in summer, they are primarily fruit eaters. Here is an interesting fact: because Cedar Waxwings begin feeding fruit to their young just a few days after hatching, their nests are less susceptible to parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds than those of other songbirds.

How to identify them: One of only five bird species in Connecticut with a crest and the only one with a black mask, Cedar Waxwings are fairly easy to identify. But take a few minutes to admire these sleek songbirds. Based on the number of waxy tipped secondary flight feathers, the amount of black on the chin, and the width of the yellow band at tip of the tail, you can actually guess at the age of these birds. The younger females may not have any waxy tipped feathers, have limited black on the chin, and just a thin band of yellow across the tail (0-4.5 mm if you want to be precise).

In contrast the older males may have up to nine waxy tips, have a blacker chin, and a yellow band 5-9mm in width. The older females and younger males are between these two extremes and overlap.

Conservation Status: Cedar Waxwings are common across the United States, Canada, and Northern Mexico and can be found year-round in Connecticut. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 52 million and the North American Breeding Bird Survey indicates the population is stable and increasing in some areas.