Imagine an introduced plant species changing the color of a beloved songbird native to North and Central America. This does happen. In the image above, you see two Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) sharing a birdbath with a Robin. Those Cedar Waxwings are sporting bright yellow tail tips. That’s what I expect to see.
But if a Cedar Waxwing consumes enough red berries of the introduced Morrow’s Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) during the time of feather development, the tail feathers, rather than being bright yellow, will be bright orange. This change in color was first noticed in the 1960s in northeastern US and southeastern Canada. Who would have thought?
During the winter my birdbaths really draw the birds. Bring in birds that aren’t interested in the seeds and suet that I put out at the feeders. Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) and Robins (Turdus migratorius) don’t eat at the feeders but they sure take pleasure in the water.
Another on my list of those that have no interest in the bird feeders, a Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus), who shows up simply because I use a water warmer to keep ice from freezing. A water warmer along with a long medium duty/outdoor extension cord.
And still another bird on that list, a Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata), affectionately know as Butterbutt.
Birds can eat snow to get the moisture they need but it takes precious energy to convert that frigid chill of snow to the bird’s body temperature. Precious energy. Some birds even bathe during the cold of winter to keep their feathers clean IF water is available. And of course there are all the birds that eat the yummy suet and seeds that are out there in the feeders. They need that water in liquid form too. The more the merrier at the ol’ watering hole.
At my cabin there are so many blueberry bushes. So many, if I had to guess, that guess would be maybe twelve mature bushes. Maybe.
By the Fourth of July every year my freezer is filled with quart sized bags of berries to provide muffins, pies, pancakes, toppings for ice cream, scones and more pies. To last throughout the entire year.
Cedar Waxwings with such panache. They love to come by to help harvest the berries.
And I sure don’t mind having them here. I wonder how they know that I’ve got blueberries growing here. Does word get around? Can they SMELL them? Do they just pick up blueberry vibes?
Whatever magic they may use to find these berries, I sure am glad I get to see them as they wolf the berries down. And here, a perfect picture of panache.
Perhaps you’ve seen this photo in the past. It’s one of my favorite images of the many many that I’ve taken. Surely I’ve used it before. These Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) are performing a mating ritual in which the pair pass a treasure (in this case a sumac berry) back and forth. No telling which is the male and which is the female in this image since their markings and plumage are the same.
A pair of Cedar Waxwings are monogamous during each breeding season and both parents participate in nest construction and rearing activities. Incubation of the two to six eggs takes two weeks.
Born blind and helpless the nestlings grow quickly and learn to fly in another two weeks. The bird above is a juvenile who has yet to grow adult plumage. Juveniles do have the yellow tail tip, although not the red wing tips, yet.
The bird in the center of the photo above has an orange tail tip. That orange coloring is due to the diet of the bird. In the late 1800s the bush, Morrow’s Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii), was unfortunately brought to this continent. I say unfortunately because it is an invasive. The berries of this bush contain a red pigment. If enough of these berries are eaten by a Cedar Waxwing during feather formation the tail tips will be orange rather than the usual yellow because of that red pigment. This unusual coloring began to be noticed in northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada in the 1960’s. Unusual but no other consequences as far as is known.
These elegant birds are irruptive and gypsies wandering from fruit supply to fruit supply throughout the year. They’ll also eat insects when they’re available. They love the sound of running water and enjoy small streams, or bird baths that have drippers or as in the case above, a puddle in the middle of a lane.
They travel in bands and normally when I see them they’re with their friends the American Robin. And in case you are trying to get your terminology just right, a group of Cedar Waxwings is called an “ear-full” or a “museum” of Cedar Waxwings.
Such a sophisticated fashion statement the Cedar Waxwing makes. And what of those red wing tips? They are a waxy secretion called astaxanthin – a carotenoid pigment. Don’t worry, there won’t be a test on this. As the years go by the number and size of the tips get larger. It is believed that these appendages are used as status symbols in mate selection.
I was surprised last spring to see several Cedar Waxwings eating petals off the apple blossoms in my tree. Now I know, they eat berries and fruit, insects AND flower petals. Who would have thought?
American Robins, Turdus migratorius. Some migrate. Some don’t migrate. Either way, during winter they are often seen searching for earthworms, grubs, fruits and berries. Here at my cabin it’s not unusual to see flocks of robins congregating in the frigid temperatures, eating and taking advantage of the birdbath I keep thawed with a water warmer. I don’t look to them as a sign of spring.
When I see flocks of Robins I look for their buddies Cedar Waxwings, Bombycilla cedrorum. They often go for the same fruits, berries and thawed water. It doesn’t matter to me what they represent or don’t. I love to have them around.
