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The Cedar Waxwing is a sleek looking brown bird with a crested head and black face mask, yellow tipped tail feathers, and hard red wax-like tips on its secondary wing feathers. These blobs of what looks to be red sealing wax, develops after the bird reaches two years of age. It is used to show a bird is experienced and therefore, a better mate.
They are found in Algonquin Highlands’ wet areas, particularly spruce bogs. The Cedar Waxwing eats primarily berries, as well as some insects. For this reason, they nest in June or early July, later than most other birds in the area. This is to ensure that young can be fed when there is the best supply of berries. Females lay 4 to 6 blue-grey eggs, spotted with dark brown and black. Nest are made of twigs and grass, and placed in a tree in the open. Adults store food for their young in their crop, a pouch located inside the throat, and can regurgitate as many as 30 choke cherries.
Waxwings are very social birds. They spend most of the year in flocks, traveling where there is a good supply of food. Birds may even be spotted huddled together, passing food to one another in a long row.
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CEDAR WAXWING
Bombycilla cedrorum
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