Cedar Waxwings

There were a small number of Cedar Waxwings up in a tree, and I got pictures of 2 of them. Surprisingly I haven't shown these guys before. They don't have close relatives that are usually around here, but Bohemian Waxwings can be found north and west of us [1].

Though they'll eat some insects when they're available, Cedar Waxwings love eating fruit, especially berries. They actually get the "cedar" part of their name because of their love of the "berries" (technically blue/purple seed cones that resemble berries) of the Eastern Redcedar.

Their love of fruit can get them in trouble; they sometimes feast on fermenting berries and get drunk, making it far more difficult for them to survive threats they normally handle pretty well. But it also has some advantages; like other vegetarian birds, Brown-headed Cowbirds usually can't successfully brood parasitize them.

These birds are also famously social, and where you see 1, you'll probably see more.

May 25, 2023 at Duke Farms
Photo 292818768, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

May 25, 2023 at Duke Farms
Photo 292818781, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

[1] Technically it's possible to find Bohemian Waxwings in New Jersey, though almost all the time the waxwings you see around here will be Cedars. Still, Bohemian Waxwings are much more likely to be found here than their other relative, the Japanese Waxwing.

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