About This Species
The Cedar Waxwing is a sleek, elegant songbird known for its silky plumage and calm, social nature. Soft shades of tan, gray, and pale yellow blend smoothly across its body, highlighted by a bold black mask and subtle red wax-like tips on the wings. Often seen traveling in flocks, these birds move quietly through treetops and shrubs, especially where berries are abundant.
Fun Facts
- Berry lovers: Cedar Waxwings eat more fruit than almost any other North American songbird, especially cedar berries, dogwood, and serviceberry.
- Late nesters: They often wait until mid-to-late summer to nest, timing their breeding to coincide with peak berry availability.
- Social birds: Waxwings are rarely seen alone and are known to pass berries from one bird to another as part of courtship.
- Wax seals: The red tips on their wing feathers look like melted wax and give the bird its name—older birds often have more of them.
- Gentle flyers: Their smooth, flowing flight and soft, high-pitched calls make them easy to overlook despite their beauty.
