High on the list of favorite birds for many people around here, it’s the Cedar Waxwing: a bird that looks fast even when it’s standing still!
These social birds stand apart from many others with their slick-looking coat of feathers, which has the appearance of being smoothly painted on and expertly blended. They can be found in groups – sometimes of several hundred but usually about a dozen – actively foraging for berries through the treetops. They have a high-pitched and repetitive chirping call that can sometimes resemble the drone of crickets (at least I think so but my hearing doesn’t extend into the high ranges very far.)
Their name comes from the colorful yellow and red waxlike deposits on the tips of their wings and tails, making it look like they have been dipped in paint. These may be for attracting mates but it’s not known for certain.
Although they will eat insects, their diet consists almost entirely of fruits and berries which can determine the coloration of the deposits on their wings.
Waxwings can be found across the entire U.S. and are permanent residents across much of the northern half of the country.
FAST FACT:
Because they eat so much fruit, Cedar Waxwings occasionally become intoxicated or even die when they ingest large amounts of overripe berries that have started to ferment!
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Scientific name: Bombycilla cedrorum
Length: 5.5–6.7 in
Wingspan: 8.7–11.8 in
Weight: 1.1 oz
Rhode Island Bird Hunter 