Waxwings At My Local Patch

Cedar Waxwings are named for their appetite for cedar berries as well as their waxy red wingtips. Finding waxwings can be easy if conditions are right. In the winter months, waxwings feed predominately on the fruit of many trees including the aforementioned cedar. Find fruit trees and you will typically find waxwings. Once the food is gone so too are the waxwings. 

I’ve been following a huge flock of Cedar Waxwings at my local patch since late November. If you are wondering what I mean by patch, you can learn more in my blog post: Patch Birding: A Splendid Solution During Difficult Times or watch my episode of Explore The Wild on YouTube Patch Birding.

At my local patch, there are acres of honeysuckle bushes covered in ripe red berries. Honeysuckle fruit happens to be a favourite fruit of the Cedar Waxwing and consequently, a huge flock of waxwings has descended on my patch.  It’s actually quite impressive to see how much fruit these birds consume in a week and even a day. Having watched this flock for a few months now the birds move around the patch as they devour the food from certain areas. Each day the waxwings can be in a different location within the patch depending on food or wind. I hate to sound like a broken record, but those of you who have followed me for a while will know what I’m talking about when I mentioned the wind. The waxwings are always on the leeward side of the patch feeding on Honeysuckle. A can visit the patch on a Monday with a north wind and find the birds feeding on the north side out of the wind. The very next day, I can return on a south wind and guess which side the waxwings are on? You got it, the south side!  

Using my ears and listening for their high-pitched whistles also helps me locate the waxwings. Often after feeding heavily the birds will roost high up in the surrounding deciduous trees. Hearing their calls I look up and see the birds. Usually, after waiting only a few minutes the birds will begin dropping down to eye level in the honeysuckle and resume feeding. This not only presents great views but also the best perspective for photos.

Cedar Waxwings eat a wide variety of fruit and are not limited to honeysuckle and cedar berries. Mountain Ash, hawthorn, serviceberry, crabapple, and even holly berries are readily consumed by waxwings. Here in London, we have an abundance of invasive buckthorn trees and it’s not uncommon to find waxwings feeding on their berries. If you have invasive buckthorn on your property and are leaving it because it attracts birds, it’s a good idea to remove it and plant a native fruit-producing tree instead. Buckthorn is considered a starvation food for birds as it causes diarrhea and makes them weak. Buckthorn is typically consumed in late winter when other food sources become low. 

Next time you are out at your local patch, keep an eye out for fruit-bearing trees and an ear out for high-pitched whistles. If these are present Cedar Waxwings may be too. Remember to follow the food to keep up with the birds and you too will enjoy great views of these masked bandits. 

Good birding,
Paul