Cedar Waxwing

The Cedar Waxwing is a sleek, medium-sized songbird distinguished by a crest, a black mask, and bright red waxy tips on the secondary wing feathers. Its plumage is remarkably silky and smooth, featuring a soft blend of soft browns, grays, and bright yellow tail bands.

Soft silky gray-brown grading into pale yellow and white at the tip, featuring a characteristic subterminal dark band or pale edging typical of certain contour feathers

Pennaceous at the upper tip portion transitioning into a plumulaceous (fluffy) downy base, with a rudimentary or absent afterfeather

Thin, pale yellowish-white flexible central rachis with fine, evenly spaced barbs that loosen significantly toward the proximal base

Exceptionally silky, smooth, and soft to the touch with a matte finish, characteristic of the velvety plumage of waxwings

Flank or rump region, indicated by the soft, grayish texture and distinctive pale-tipped coloration pattern typical of waxwing body plumage

Silky texture, soft gray coloration transitioning to yellowish/whitish tips, and small rounded body contour shape

Open woodlands, forest edges, orchards, suburban areas, and parks with an abundance of fruit-bearing trees and shrubs

Breeds across the northern half of North America and winters throughout the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America

Important seed dispersers for many native shrubs and berry-producing trees, feeding heavily on fruit supplemented by insects in summer

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus), which is larger, has chestnut undertail coverts, and yellow wing markings

Cedar waxwings can become intoxicated or even die from eating fermented overripe berries in late winter; they frequently pass fruit back and forth along a branch in courtship rituals

Not historically significant for major trade, though admired by birdwatchers for their striking beauty and social behavior

Look near fruit-bearing trees like cedar, hawthorn, or crabapple during winter or migration months

Good condition with some natural fraying at the fluffy proximal base; vane is mostly intact with minor wear