WESTERN BIRDS Waxwing 



GENUS BOMBYCILLA : CEDAR WAX- 

 WING. 



Cedar Waxwing: Botnbycilla cedrorum. 

 FAMILY— WAXWINGS. 



Among the few birds which are alike wherever found 

 — both east and west — are the Cedar Waxwings, also 

 called Cedar Birds, because of their fondness for cedar 

 berries; and Cherry Birds, because they have the good 

 judgment to like this luscious fruit. 



While many of these birds breed north of our country, 

 others breed south to southern Oregon, northern New 

 Mexico, Kansas, northern Arkansas, and North Caro- 

 lina, wintering throughout nearly all of the United 

 States. Their presence, in their winter homes at least, 

 is variable; sometimes they will be about in immense 

 flocks, and again hardly a bird will be seen in a locality 

 which the year before they had frequented. 



They are extremely gregarious, going about in small, 

 or large, very compact flock, flying evenly together, 

 sometimes suddenly wheeling and descending to some 

 tree, or as suddenly halting their rapid flight and drop- 

 ping down to forage in the tree-tops. 



They are especially fond of berries, those of the pepper 

 tree being the attraction in southern California, but they 

 are also flycatchers, darting out from a bare limb, fly- 

 catcher-fashion, after the unsuspecting insect and re- 

 turning to the place from which they started. 



In plumage and gentle manners few species excel this 

 one. Though modest in coloring, the tones are so exqui- 

 sitely soft and the form is so graceful, that one easily 

 falls in love with the bird. 



They are somewhat smaller than their Bohemian 

 cousin, being seven or seven and one-half inches long. 



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