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Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum You hear a high, thin, whistling sound and a cedar tree comes alive with a tight flock of waxwings rising, then turning in unison, as though a single entity. It is almost impossible for me to think of these birds in the singular. Even while breeding, they will fly away from the nest to feed in a flock. Unlike most species, pair formation takes place within the flock before the birds arrive on breeding grounds. At any time of year, waxwings will line up on a branch and pass a berry from one to the other down the line and back again. In courtship, mates will pass a berry back and forth between each other until one bird eats it. They will also rub bills and engage in rapid circular chases. Nesting usually occurs later than other species, as late as September or October when apple, plum, cedar, and other trees are bearing fruit. Both sexes gather grass, twigs, and plant fibers to build a loose cup nest on a horizontal branch or in a fork of a tree about twenty feet high. The female lays three to five eggs and does all the incubating, while her mate feeds her and guards the area. Both parents feed their young and eat their fecal sacs. Before fledging occurs, about two weeks after hatching, the parents have begun a nest for their second brood. They feed the fledglings for about ten days, after which the young birds join other juveniles to feed in small flocks. Waxwings forage by climbing about in trees, hovering to pick food from foliage and flying out to catch insects in midair. They are nomadic, and local numbers vary depending on the availability of food. They occur on the edges of woods, streams, fields, and yards year round in the North. In winter, they are also present in the South. No matter how often I see these birds, their elegant plumage never ceases to astound me. Black masks; soft brown crests, backs, and breasts; yellowish bellies; yellow-tipped tails; and red spots on the tips of their secondary feathers that look like drops of wax all come together to make this species look like fine art. On January 1, 2002, I saw waxwings in my crabapple tree but they looked different. They were larger than usual and their backs, breasts, and crests were grayish instead of brown. My friend Carol had repeatedly told me to watch for Bohemian waxwings that sometimes wander down from their northern territories. I grabbed my field guide, read the description, looked at the birds again, and, when I observed their diagnostic rusty undertail coverts, made a positive identification of seven Bohemian waxwings. Two days later, the apples were gone and so were the birds. I happily added these birds to my life list. 73 ...

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