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Cedar Waxwings are a beautiful songbird native to North America and Central America. They are distinct with stark black masks over their eyes, short crests, bright yellow tail tips, and red wax drops on the tips of their secondary wing feathers. In fall and winter, you’ll see large flocks foraging in trees with small fruits and berries, often given away by their high pitched whistly calls. Unlike most other songbirds, Cedar Waxwings can survive on a fruit-only diet for months. Because of this fruit specialization, brood parasites such as Brown-headed Cowbirds often don’t survive in Cedar Waxwing nests. However, this heavy reliance on fruits can have consequences. Cedar Waxwings have been observed getting intoxicated by alcohol after eating too many fermenting berries, which can be deadly. The loss in coordination from intoxication can also cause them to fly into solid structures such as windows (see our feature story below to learn more about window collisions). Cedar Waxwings are also highly social, and can be seen passing berries to each other as they forage. They nest high in trees and often close together. They have a late breeding season compared to other bird species because it is advantageous to breed later when fruits have ripened and when insects are more abundant.
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