The best way to attract Waxwings to your yard is to have plants that have berries such as Holly or Hawthorn.
They also like a forest or wooded areas.
Identification and Pictures
There are three types.
Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum)
Cedar Waxwings are sleek golden brown birds a
little larger than a sparrow (6.5"-8" in length).
Their fluffy soft feathers
almost look like fur. The fawn colored plumage blends
into an ashy gray.
Photo by Dave Menke U.S. Wildlife
The breast will sometimes
be a yellowish color. Both sexes look alike. They have a head crest much like Cardinals
or Blue Jays. There is a yellow
band at the tip of their tail and under tail coverts are
white.
Waxwings get their name from the red teardrops
at the tip of the secondary wing feathers. The drop
which looks like red wax can be seen on most adults.
Sometimes it will also be on tail feathers.
There is a
black patch or mask that starts above the eyes and crosses over above the beak. This short beak is slightly hooked, to help it easily pick berries
and catch small insects. Waxwings like many birds have specialized
beaks.
Young birds are more of a gray color
with light streaks on the under parts. Instead of a the black mask
the adults have, young birds have white on their cheeks and
behind their eyes
Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla Garrula)
Bohemian Waxwings similar to the Cedar Waxwing
but a bit larger. They have a rusty crest and face but
are more of a gray color, with no yellow on the belly.
Bohemian's have white and yellow markings in the wing and tail
feathers have yellow tips.
Although the shape is similar they have
none of the coloring Cedar Waxwings do. Males are
shiny black and females are more of a gray color.
Song and Calls
Most of the time Waxwings are not heard. The song is a quiet,
high-pitched hissing whistle. This is often given when
they are in flight or are just taking off. It sounds
something like seee.
When perched they can be heard giving a light
cricket like call and high bzeeee trill.
Note on some browsers you will not be able to see or use the
drop down sound list. If you can't use it try the sound
links below.
In the summer Waxwings can be seen across Canada and the Central U.S.
They are in the Pacific Northwest, Central and Northeast U.S.
all year long, and like to spend the winter in the Southern half of the U.S.
Breeding and Nesting
In late spring males can be seen hopping
around doing their courting dance. They will also pass
berries to females. If females are interested they will
also do the dance. This will go on to the end of summer.
The female will choose a nest site. The nest is a
bulky structures of grass, leaves,
fibers, bark, twigs and moss. They will use bits of
string or cloth set out by people.
Waxwing Eggs
There will be three to six pale bluish gray eggs, with dark
markings. The female will incubate the eggs for 10 to 12 days.
During this time the male will stand guard and bring her
food. Both parents feed the chicks which fledge in about two weeks.
Adults store food for the young in a crop or pouch located in the
throat.
Food and Feeding
Waxwings love fruit, their favorite being berries.
If you have trees and shrubs with berries on them you may see large flocks of
these extremely social birds. Waxwings will fly in
and stay as long as the fruit lasts, then they will be gone.
They will also eat insects which provide a good protein source especially during breeding season.
The best way to attract Waxwings to your yard is to have plants that have berries such as Holly or Hawthorn.
They also like a forest or wooded areas.
The breast will sometimes
be a yellowish color. Both sexes look alike. They have a head crest much like 
There is a
black patch or mask that starts above the eyes and crosses over above the beak. This short beak is slightly hooked, to help it easily pick berries
and catch small insects. Waxwings like many birds have 
trees and shrubs with berries on them you may see large flocks of
these extremely social birds. Waxwings will fly in
and stay as long as the fruit lasts, then they will be gone.
