The Cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) is a member of the family Bombycillidae or waxwing family of passerine birds. The genus name Bombycilla comes from the Ancient Greek bombux, "silk" and the Modern Latin cilla, "tail"; this is a direct translation of the German Seidenschwanz, "silk-tail", and refers to the silky-soft plumage of these birds. The specific cedrorum is Latin for "of the cedars".
Di
DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
He
HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
Fr
FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
In
InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
Om
OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
Ar
ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
Al
AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Zo
ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
No
NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Co
CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Ov
OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Se
Serial monogamySerial monogamy is a mating system in which a pair bonds only for one breeding season.
So
SocialFl
FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
Mi
MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
C
starts withCedar waxwings are medium-sized birds named for their wax-like wingtips. Their markings are a "silky, shiny collection of brown, gray, and lemon-yellow, accented with a subdued crest, rakish black mask, and brilliant-red wax droplets on the wing feathers." These droplets may be the same color as the madrone berries they are known to eat. These birds' most prominent feature is this small cluster of red wax-like droplets on the tips of secondary flight feathers on the wings, a feature they share with the Bohemian waxwing (but not the Japanese waxwing). These wax-like droplets are attributed to the pigmented and medullary layers of the secondary tip being surrounded by a transparent cuticle. The wings are "broad and pointed, like a starling's." 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. The tail is somewhat short and square-tipped. Adults have a pale yellow belly. The waxwing's crest often "lies flat and droops over the back of the head." It has a short and wide bill. The waxwing's black mask has a thin white border. Immature birds are streaked on the throat and flanks and often do not have the black mask of the adults. Males and females look alike.
Cedar waxwings breed in southern Canada and winter in the southern half of the United States, Central America, and the far northwest of South America. Their 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. They are frequently seen in fruiting trees. 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 nearby water source such as a fountain or birdbath. Also look for them near farms, orchards, and gardens, particularly ones with fruiting trees or shrubs.
Cedar waxwings are sociable non-territorial birds that are seen in flocks year-round. Outside the breeding season, they often feed in large flocks numbering hundreds of birds. Cedar waxwings are nomadic and irruptive and will move in huge numbers if berry supplies are low. They move from place to place depending on where they can find good sources of berries. Cedar waxwings are attracted to the sound of running water and love to bathe in and drink from shallow creeks. They also frequently spend time grooming each other in order to keep their soft silky plumage healthy. These birds feed by day plucking berries in fruiting trees; they eat berries whole. They sometimes fly over water to catch insects. Cedar waxwings communicate with each other vocally; they call often, especially in flight. Their two common calls include very high-pitched whistles and buzzy trills often represented as 'see' or 'sree'. Their call can also be described as "high, thin, whistles."
Cedar waxwings are herbivores (frugivores) and carnivores (insectivores). They eat berries and sugary fruit year-round, including dogwood, strawberry, mulberry, raspberry, serviceberry, cedar, juniper, hawthorn, and winterberry. Insects become an important part of their diet mainly in the breeding season.
Cedar waxwings are serially monogamous; they form bonds that last only during one breeding season which begins around the end of spring and runs through late summer. The male will do a "hopping dance" for the female. If she is interested, she'll hop back. 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 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 m (6.6 to 19.7 ft) above ground. Usually, 5 or 6 eggs are laid and the female incubates them for 11 to 13 days. The eggs are oval-shaped with a smooth surface and very little if any, gloss. The eggshells are of various shades of light or bluish-grey with irregular, dark brown spots or greyish-brown splotches. Both parents feed the young and typically raise one or two broods during the breeding season. The chicks are born naked, blind, and helpless. They leave the nest about 14 to 18 days after hatching and usually form flocks with fledglings from neighboring nests.
Cedar waxwings are considered globally threatened. However, they do sometimes crash into windows, and get hit by cars while foraging along roadsides.
According to the All About Birds resource the total breeding population size of the Cedar waxwing is 52 million birds. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, and their numbers today are increasing.
Cedar waxwings play an important role in their ecosystem by dispersing seeds of various fruit species they feed on. These birds are also sometimes responsible for significant damage to commercial fruit farms and thus can be considered a pest, especially because they forage in large groups.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...