NeoVista Birds and Wildlife: Cedar Waxwings: The Silky Smooth Nomads

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Cedar Waxwings: The Silky Smooth Nomads

Last winter I came across a flock of Cedar Waxwings feeding on the fruit of Russian Olive Trees. I noticed they were working their way down a row of trees so I positioned myself on a slope down the row from them with a fruit-laden tree in front of me and the rising sun at my back. I thought the lighting would be great if they came to the tree in front of me. I wanted to be seen as part of the environment when they arrived so I remained motionless as they approached. Soon there was one, then two, three, and more hungry birds feeding in the tree in front of me.

Cedar Waxwing Feeding on Russian Olive Fruit
Warm Springs WMA Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

I was able to capture clear images of these silky smooth nomads with their distinctive dark masks, silky brown crests, and yellow-tipped tails. What I didn't expect to see was some social behavior that I later learned was common among Waxwings. Birds were passing fruit to one another. I saw two birds that were deeply engaged in this behavior with each other. One bird was plucking fruit and passing it to the other bird which simply perched and waited for the fruit. I don't know how to tell the difference between male and female waxwings--they are not sexually dimorphic like other birds where the male is often more colorful than the female--but I suspect that it may have been a male passing fruit to a female. Perhaps he was trying to prove his worth as a provider since breeding season was just around the corner. As you look at the images that follow, notice how the one bird doing the plucking and passing of fruit has a much larger belly than the one on the right. I'd love to hear if anyone has the explanation for that.

I've put the images below in an order to show the sequence of passing the fruit. Someone pointed out to me that the outline of the two birds in one image forms the shape of a heart. Can you see that?

Cedar Waxwing Feeding on Russian Olive Fruit at Warm Springs WMA in Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Pair of Cedar Waxwings Prior to Sharing a Russian Olive Fruit at Warm Springs WMA in Utah County, UT
(Photo by Jeff Cooper

Cedar Waxwings Sharing Russian Olive Fruit at Warm Springs WMA in Utah County, UT
(Photo by Jeff Cooper)
If you look at the outline of the two birds above you can see they form the shape of a heart