Cedar Waxwing

Quick Facts

Migratory
  • Scientific Name: Bombycilla cedrorum
  • Spanish Name: Ampelis Americano
  • Family: Bombycillidae
  • Known Nicknames: Cherry Bird, Southern Waxwing
  • Average Length: 15–18 cm / 5.9–7.1 in
  • Average Weight: 30–40 g / 1.1–1.4 oz
  • Wingspan: 22–30 cm / 8.7–11.8 in
  • Key Feature: Smooth, silky brown plumage; yellow terminal band on tail; red waxy tips on secondary wing feathers
  • Primary Diet: Primarily Frugivore (also insectivorous during breeding season)
  • Range: North America (southern Canada through the United States, wintering in Central America and the Caribbean)
  • Habitat: Open woodlands, forest edges, orchards, suburban gardens, and areas with abundant berry-producing shrubs
  • Social Structure: Highly Social (forages and roosts in flocks, often large)
  • Nesting/Breeding: Tree or shrub branches (cup-shaped nest of twigs, grass, and lichen)
  • Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC)
  • Population Trend: Stable

The Cedar Waxwing (*Bombycilla cedrorum*) is a sleek, silky-plumaged songbird renowned for its striking elegance and social, nomadic flocks. About the size of a starling, it sports a soft brown crest, a black mask outlined in white, and a pale yellow belly that fades to a gray tail tipped with a bright yellow band—as if dipped in paint. Its most unique feature is the waxy, red droplets on its secondary wing feathers, which give the species its name and become more pronounced with age. A specialist in fruit-eating, the Cedar Waxwing can survive on berries for extended periods and is famous for its habit of passing berries down a line of perched birds during feeding frenzies, while its high-pitched, trilling call often betrays its presence before it’s seen.

Fun Facts

Cedar Waxwings are notorious fruit gluttons, sometimes gorging so heavily on fermented winter berries that they become temporarily intoxicated and fly clumsily. They pass berries in mid-air to one another during courtship, a behavior that strengthens pair bonds. Their red, waxy wing tips—the source of their name—are actually hardened secretions from the tips of secondary feathers, and their number increases with age and diet. They lack a crop and a gallbladder, allowing them to digest fruit rapidly, and they can survive for months on an exclusively fruit-based diet.

Habitats & Distribution

The Cedar Waxwing occupies a broad geographical range across North America, breeding from southern Canada and Alaska down through the northern and central United States, and wintering as far south as Central America and the Caribbean. Its habitat is highly dependent on the availability of fruit, its primary food source, so it is most commonly found in open woodlands, forest edges, orchards, suburban gardens, and along rivers and streams where berry-producing trees and shrubs like juniper, serviceberry, and cedar thrive. During migration and winter, they form large, nomadic flocks that wander widely in search of fruiting plants, often visiting parks, farmlands, and even urban areas with ornamental berry bushes.

Behaviours & Reproduction

Highly social outside of breeding season, Cedar Waxwings form large, nomadic flocks that engage in coordinated movements and food sharing, often passing berries bill-to-bill as a courtship or bonding ritual. During the breeding season, pairs form monogamous bonds after a courtship display where the male hops toward the female, offering a berry or insect; if she accepts, they may repeat the exchange multiple times. Both sexes build a cup-shaped nest of twigs, grass, and lichen in a tree fork, and the female incubates 3–5 pale blue eggs with black speckles for about 12 days. A unique strategy is their reliance on fruit-rich habitats for timing reproduction to coincide with peak berry availability, and they frequently nest in loose colonies, sometimes reusing nests from previous seasons or taking over abandoned ones. After hatching, both parents feed the young regurgitated fruit and insects, and fledglings join the parent flock, remaining dependent for a few weeks before dispersing.

Diet

The Cedar Waxwing is primarily a frugivore, meaning its diet consists overwhelmingly of fruit, which it often consumes in large quantities, sometimes to the point of intoxication from fermented berries. During warmer months, they supplement this with insects like beetles, ants, and caterpillars, which provide crucial protein for breeding and feeding their young. A particularly interesting fact is that their name derives from the waxy, red secretions on their wing feathers, which are thought to be a byproduct of their high-fruit diet. They are also known for their unique feeding behavior of passing berries down a line of perched birds, each taking a turn before swallowing, a social display often seen in flocks.

Colors

The Cedar Waxwing is a sleek, crested bird with a soft brown head and chest that fades into a pale yellow belly. Its wings are gray-brown with smooth, waxy red tips on the secondary feathers, and the tail has a bright yellow terminal band. A narrow black mask outlined in white runs through the eye, and the undertail coverts are white. It lacks disruptive or cryptic patterns, relying instead on its smooth, muted tones for subtle blending into foliage.