Cedar Waxwing

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Cedar Waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum, at the A&M Tract on Pelican Island, Texas.

Image: Joseph Kennedy, 18 May 2007 [larger view].

Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/250s f/9.5 at 800.0mm iso400.

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They're one of my favorites too. We see them for only a very short period each spring as they pass through NE Wisconsin on their migration. I've got one frozen in my kitchen freezer right now. It crashed into our picture window and croaked.

By Winnebago (not verified) on 27 Aug 2008 #permalink

Hi Winnebago, I'm in Madison now, but I also saw cedar waxwings in NE Wisconsin.

GrrlScientist, I hope you are having an enjoyable trip east.

And what side dishes will you be serving with your cedar waxwing?

vrajesh -- i can try to help you, but i am in london right now and have inconsistent internet access until i return to NYC.

Watched a cedar waxwing for three days in northern illinois this labor day weekend. I read they are supposed to be gregarious and live, fly, feed in flocks.

this was solitary... and basically stayed in the top of a tree just looking around for three days... it would fly up to about 100 feet to another tree top for a few minutes, but would always return to the same tree top...preening and scanning? no singing or chirping

any ideas why this bird would behave this way? it's the first time I've seen a waxwing in this area. but I feel confident of the identification

cedar waxwings can be found alone, i am not sure why this particular bird was alone and seemed to hang around one location .. the birds are "irruptive", meaning they wander widely and often unpredictably, so this bird might have become separated from its flockmates and was looking for them.

thanks for the new term...irruptive... helps to find much more on these birds!