Bird guide · Bombycilla cedrorum
Cedar Waxwing
What the cedar waxwing eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Nomadic migrant; wintering areas change with food supply.
- Size
- 6.1 in (15.5 cm)
- Eats
- berries and small fruit
- Most common
- Montana, West Virginia, Vermont
Food
What do cedar waxwings eat?
At feeders, cedar waxwings take berries and small fruit.
Almost always in flocks; drawn to berries and to water such as birdbaths.
Feeder that suits it
A tray with chopped fruit, berries or mealworms.
Range
Where do cedar waxwings live?
Most of the continent south of the Arctic. By share of all bird sightings, cedar waxwings are most common in Montana (1.0%).
States where cedar waxwings are most common
- Montana1.0%
- West Virginia0.9%
- Vermont0.9%
- Maine0.9%
- Idaho0.9%
- Wisconsin0.8%
- New Hampshire0.8%
- North Dakota0.8%
- Minnesota0.8%
- Michigan0.8%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are cedar waxwings, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the cedar waxwing migrate?
Nomadic migrant; wintering areas change with food supply.. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in June.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are cedar waxwings, by month.
Identification
How to identify the cedar waxwing
Adults: Sleek brown with a short crest, narrow black mask, yellow belly, yellow tail tip and red waxy wing tips.
Young birds: Blurry streaks, but already shows the yellow tail band.
Size: 6.1 in (15.5 cm)
Easily confused with
- Bohemian Waxwing – compare in the far north and in winter
On camera
Getting the cedar waxwing on a feeder camera
Use a camera feeder with an open tray for fruit and mealworms; many fruit eaters ignore seed.
Questions
Cedar Waxwing: questions
What do cedar waxwings eat?
At feeders, berries and small fruit.
Do cedar waxwings migrate?
Nomadic migrant; wintering areas change with food supply.. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in June.
Where do cedar waxwings live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Montana, West Virginia, Vermont, Maine, Idaho. They are rare or absent in Hawaii.
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