Ampelis Americano
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
Song
Cedar Waxwing
Appearance: The Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) is a sleek, medium-sized songbird, about 18 cm long. It has a soft brown head and chest, grayish wings, a pale yellow belly, a pointed crest, and a narrow black mask edged in white. The tail is usually dark with a bright yellow tip, and some adults show small red, wax-like tips on the wing feathers. Juveniles are duller and more streaked below.
Habitat: It is usually found in open woodlands, forest edges, orchards, farms, gardens, parks, and areas with fruiting trees or shrubs. In migration and winter it follows food sources, especially berries, so it can appear suddenly wherever fruit is abundant.
Behavior: Cedar Waxwings are very social birds, often seen in flocks. They feed heavily on berries and small fruits, swallowing them whole, but they also catch insects, especially during the breeding season. Their flocks may move widely depending on berry availability.
Breeding: This species breeds in North America, especially in southern Canada and the northern United States, in open wooded areas. It builds a cup-shaped nest in trees or shrubs. Cedar Waxwings do not breed in Colombia; any Colombian records are from wandering or wintering birds.
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MALE
FEMALE
Distribution
The Cedar Waxwing is rare, irregular, and migratory/erratic. It is a boreal migrant that normally winters farther north, but occasionally reaches Colombia. It may occur as an irregular visitor, especially along the Pacific coast.
Taxonomy
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves (Birds)
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Bombycillidae
- Genus: Bombycilla
- Species: Cedrorum
Vocalization
The Cedar Waxwing has very high-pitched, thin vocalizations. Its most common call is a soft, clear “seee” or “sreee”, often so high that some people may have difficulty hearing it. Flocks also give short, buzzy or trilled notes while flying or feeding together. Unlike many songbirds, the Cedar Waxwing does not have a long, complex song; instead, it communicates mostly with these delicate whistles and contact calls. These sounds help flock members stay together while moving through trees in search of berries and fruit.
