Cedar Waxwing

Cedar Waxwings are sleek, social birds with a distinctive crest and a black mask. Their plumage is a blend of silky browns and grays. This feather showcases the iconic yellow tail-tip that gives the bird its name ('cedrorum' referring to cedar berries).

Base color is a brownish-gray (neutral taupe), transitioning into a dark charcoal or blackish terminal band. Most notably, there is a bright yellow tip (occasionally orange in birds that have consumed certain invasive honeysuckle berries).

Tightly interlocked pennaceous barbs throughout the vane, becoming plumulaceous (fluffy) at the very base near the calamus.

Incredibly smooth and silky texture with a subtle matte-to-satin sheen, characteristic of waxwing plumage which often looks "airbrushed."

The most diagnostic feature is the distinct bright yellow terminal band on a grayish-brown tail feather.

Open woodlands, orchards, suburban gardens, and riparian areas rich in berry-producing trees and shrubs.

Breeds across southern Canada and the northern United States; winters throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Central America.

Important seed dispersers for many berry-producing plants; they travel in large nomadic flocks acting as scouts for temporary food sources.

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) feathers are very similar but usually belong to a larger bird and the bird has different under-tail covert colors; however, the yellow tip is a shared trait.

The yellow tip can turn bright orange if the bird eats the berries of invasive Moro's Honeysuckle while growing its feathers. They are also one of the few North American birds that can survive on fruit alone for months.

Excellent condition; the barbs are fully intact with no visible wear or fault bars, suggesting a relatively fresh molt.