Cedar Waxwing: Intoxicated Bird

A waxwing is any of three species (genus Bombycilla, family Bombycillidae) of shiny, beautifully colored songbirds. The cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) has many fascinating characteristics, one of which is its unusual diet, which sometimes subjects the bird to intoxication.

Etymology
The name waxwing comes from the waxy red material at the tips of the bird's secondary wing feathers. Cedar refers to the bird's habit of feeding on the berries of the cedar tree.

The genus and family names are based on Latin bombyx ("silk") because of the bird's silky, shiny plumage.

Physical Description
The cedar waxwing ranges from 5.5 to 6.7 inches in length and 8.7 to 11.8 inches in wingspan. It weighs a little over an ounce.

The head is large, the neck is short, and the bill is relatively wide. The bird has a crest, but it usually lies flat and droops over the back of the head. The wings are broad and pointed, while the tail is short and square shaped.

A pale brown coloring on the head and chest gradually changes to gray on the wings, ending in the red waxy tips. The underside is pale yellow, while the tail is gray with a bright yellow tip. A black mask outlined in white marks the face.

Behavior
Cedar waxwings are found year-round in the northern United States. Some breed during the summer in Canada, and some winter in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.

Cedar waxwings are social birds that form large flocks. They inhabit mostly woodlands and grasslands, but because of their food preference, they are also common in towns and suburbs.

Cedar waxwings feed mainly on fruits. Their favorite summer fruits include strawberry, mulberry, and raspberry. Their winter fruits include cedar berries, mistletoe, and crabapple.

During the summer, cedar waxwings supplement their fruit diet by eating insects. They catch some insects, such as mayflies and dragonflies, on the wing. The birds pick other insects, such as leaf beetles, directly from vegetation.

During courtship, the male often gives a fruit or an insect to the female. She usually hops away with it and later returns it to the male. They continue to pass it back and forth till the female finally eats the gift.

The female does most of the nest building. She typically places her nest in the fork of a tree branch between 3 and 50 feet high. The nest, about 5 inches across and 3 inches deep, is an elaborately woven bulky cup made from twigs, grasses, blossoms, and other materials. She lines the inside of the cup with smooth items, such as fine roots. Sometimes she decorates the outside with fruiting grasses or other materials. The construction may take 5 or 6 days and require as many as 2,500 individual trips.

She lays 2-6 eggs, which are usually pale blue and sometimes spotted with black or gray. The incubation period is 11-13 days, and the nesting period is 14-18 days.

Fascinating Facts
The function of the waxy red wing tips is not certain, but they probably help attract mates.

The oldest known cedar waxwing was 8 years and 2 months old.

The cedar waxwing has two high-pitched calls. One is a trill. The other is a brief sighing whistle.

Cedar waxwings are among the few North American birds that eat mainly fruit. Sometimes they eat overripe berries that have started to ferment and produce alcohol. If the birds eat too many such berries, they become intoxicated and may even die.