Cedar Waxwing
Credit: nebirdsplus

North American field guide

Cedar Waxwing

Bombycilla cedrorum

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Identification

Field notes

18 cm (7") Common but irregular. Open woodland, city parks and suburban areas with berry producing shrubs, orchards.

A sleek and elegant brownish bird with a crested head, black face mask, and yellow terminal tail band. Brownish head, throat, and breast; pale yellow belly; white undertail coverts; waxy red spots on wings.

Gregarious and often seen flycatching.

Similar Bohemian Waxwing is larger, grayer, with red undertail coverts.

Song: high lispy "tsee".

Watch and learn

Videos

3 videos

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

Loading the rebuilt map…

Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Approximate reconstruction of a historical map. Source date unknown.

Geography: Natural Earth
Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 5 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Cedar Waxwing

5 rules
Rule 1 11 criteria confidence 7
What Color were the UNDERTAIL COVERTS ?
White or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow, olive, or tan (light brown) · Black, dark gray or dark · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Light band at the tip · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?
Yellow · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?
Crest of feathers on top of the head · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?
No · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Songbird (ground or perching bird)
result:758-cedar-waxwing:1:1 Source: 758 Cedar Waxwing, row 1
Rule 2 6 criteria confidence 9
Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?
No
How BIG was the bird ?
Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
List any unique feeding behaviour observed ?
Feeding at flowers
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?
Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland · Freshwater shoreline · Saltwater marsh or wetland · Flat saltwater shore; beach · Rocky saltwater shore; cliff · Only or mostly in flight over freshwater · Only or mostly in flight over land
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Northeastern Canada or United States
result:758-cedar-waxwing:2:1 Source: 758 Cedar Waxwing, row 2
Rule 3 6 criteria confidence 5
Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?
No
How BIG was the bird ?
Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
List any unique feeding behaviour observed ?
Feeding at flowers
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?
Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland · Freshwater shoreline · Saltwater marsh or wetland · Flat saltwater shore; beach · Rocky saltwater shore; cliff · Only or mostly in flight over freshwater · Only or mostly in flight over land
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southeastern United States
result:758-cedar-waxwing:3:1 Source: 758 Cedar Waxwing, row 3
Rule 4 6 criteria confidence 5
Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?
No
How BIG was the bird ?
Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
List any unique feeding behaviour observed ?
Feeding at flowers
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?
Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland · Freshwater shoreline · Saltwater marsh or wetland · Flat saltwater shore; beach · Rocky saltwater shore; cliff · Only or mostly in flight over freshwater · Only or mostly in flight over land
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southwestern United States
result:758-cedar-waxwing:4:1 Source: 758 Cedar Waxwing, row 4
Rule 5 6 criteria confidence 5
Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?
No
How BIG was the bird ?
Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
List any unique feeding behaviour observed ?
Feeding at flowers
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?
Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland · Freshwater shoreline · Saltwater marsh or wetland · Flat saltwater shore; beach · Rocky saltwater shore; cliff · Only or mostly in flight over freshwater · Only or mostly in flight over land
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Northwestern Canada or United States
result:758-cedar-waxwing:5:1 Source: 758 Cedar Waxwing, row 5