by Jeff Goulden Cedar Waxwing Gathering Nesting Material The beautiful Cedar Waxwing gets its name from the red wax-like tip of its wings. This medium sized (7 1/4") bird has a light brown head blending into gray on the wings and rump. Other distinctive features are its brown head crest, pale yellow breast and black eye mask outlined in white. Its short tail has a yellow tip. The call of the Cedar Waxwing is a very high-pitched whistle or trill.  Adult Cedar Waxwing Feeding a Juvenile The Cedar Waxwing is a common breeding resident in the Puget Sound Region from May to November. Winters are spent in the West Indies and Panama. Its diet consists of mostly fruit and some insects. Cedar Waxwings are social birds and you are likely to see them in flocks. They sit in fruiting trees, pick the berries and swallow them whole. Sometimes they briefly hover near a bush and pluck the berries in mid-air. They also fly like swallows over the water looking for insects.  Cedar Waxwing Feeding on Ash Berries Cedar Waxwings can be seen in all kinds of woodlands especially at farms, orchards, and gardens where there are fruiting trees or shrubs. They are fond of wild fruits and berries such as Mountain Ash, Indian Plum and Wild Cherry. Planting these and other native fruit bearing trees and shrubs can attract waxwings to your backyard. Cedar Waxwings nest late in the season to take advantage of ripening fruit for their offspring.
More pictures of this beautiful bird can be seen in my Cedar Waxwing Gallery at Istockphoto.com. Other bird species can be seen in my Joy of Birds Gallery. Signed fine art prints from many of my photographs are available for purchase on Fine Art America. For special offers and to follow my photographic journey please Join My Email List.
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