Name: Cedar Waxwing

Description: The Cedar Waxwing's name comes from the waxy, red appendages found in variable numbers on the tail tips of some of these birds. Cedar Waxwings with orange instead of yellow tail tips began appearing in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada beginning in the 1960s. The orange color is the result of a red pigment picked up from the berries of an introduced species of Eurasian honeysuckle. The Cedar Waxwing is one of the few temperate-dwelling birds that eat fruit. It can survive on fruit alone for several months. This bird breeds across Canada, southward to northern California, northern Arkansas and northern Georgia. It winters from southern Canada southward through the United States and Mexico into Central America.

Other Names: Southern Waxwing, Canada Robin, Cedar Bird, Cherry Bird, Recellet

Color: Both male and female Cedar Waxwings are buff-brown on the head and back. The brown color shades to pale yellow on the belly and to gray-brown on the back, fading further to slate-gray on the rump and upper tail. The tail is tipped with a yellow band, while the under tail coverts are white, and the legs and feet are black. Cedar Waxwings have a narrow, black mask outlined in white that extends over the face and ends behind each eye to a point. The chin is black. At the end of each secondary feather, the shaft is extended as a small, red, wax-like appendage.

Sound: The Cedar Waxwing makes a high-pitched, hissy whistle. A high buzzy trill, "bzeeeeee," is the most common call given by perched Cedar Waxwings.

Preferred Environment: The Cedar Waxwing breeds in open woodlands, old fields with shrubs and small trees, riparian areas, and farms and suburban gardens. It winters in areas with fruit-bearing trees and shrubs. Cedar Waxwings are attracted to the sound of running water, and love to bathe and drink from shallow creeks, fountains and birdbaths.

Nesting Habits: The Cedar Waxwing’s nest is a bulky open cup of twigs, grasses, moss and other materials placed in the fork of a tree branch.

Food Preference: Cedar Waxwings feed on suet, fruit and berries.