Cedar waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum Family name Bombycilidae is from combined Latin and Greek word meaning silky-tailed. Small songbirds, 16...20 cm long; wingspread 28...31 cm; sleek brown bird with long conspicuous crest, black mask; yellow band at end of tail; red waxy tips on secondaries of grayish wings; sexes similar, somewhat darker throat distinguishes males.

Live in small companies or flocks through most of year; in winter, rove about in country or in gardens and parks of towns, suburbs, villages, eating berries of cedar trees and their favorites - berries of European mountain ash (rowan tree) - and fruit of Pyracantha (fire tree), privet, palm berries, mulberries, etc.; feed close together in trees, may gorge until they can scarcely fly; sometimes get drunk on overripe fruit; occasionally drop to ground to drink from rain puddles or melted snow; utter high-pitched lisping sounds as they feed.

Have charming ritual in which pair or group of cedar waxwings may sit in a row on a limb and pass a cherry back and forth before one swallows it, or, in courtship, pair may pass flower petal or insect back and forth.

John K. Terres: The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds, Wings Books, New York, 1991.

More on waxwings: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/BOW/CEDWAX/

Top : waxwings assemble on the maple tree.

Middle : waxwings descend and feed on our juniper.

Bottom : juniper berries, waxwings are after.

After raccoons on our attic and mule deer in our vegetable garden, waxwings on our juniper were a real visual pleasure.