THE WAXWINGS FAMILY 



(Family Bombycillidae) 



By A. A. Allen, Ph.D. 



THE family of waxwings is one of the smallest families 

 of birds, containing but three species. In spite of this, 

 however, the family has a wide distribution through- 

 out the northern hemisphere, one species, the Bohemian 

 waxwing, being found in North America, Europe, and Asia. 

 Waxwings are easily distinguished from other birds by 

 their sleek, almost silky brownish plumage and their crested 

 heads. They get the name of waxwing from the 



THE NEST AND EGGS OF THE CEDAR WAXWING 



This home is in a sweet gum tree. The waxwing waits until midsummer before 

 beginning to nest and lays grayish blue eggs that are doubly spotted. 



appearance of the inner feathers of the wing which seem to 

 be tipped with little drops of red sealing wax. Across the 

 tip of the tail in the Bohemian and Cedar waxwings is a 

 band of yellow, but in the Japanese waxwing of eastern 

 Asia the band is rosy red. 



The Bohemian waxwing in this country is confined in 

 summer to the Northwest from Alaska to British Columbia, 

 wandering erratically southward to the northern United 

 States in winter, occasionally appearing as far east as New 

 York and New England. It is a much larger and grayer 

 species than the common Cedar waxwing, having white 

 bars in its wings and with the under tail coverts reddish 

 instead of white. 



The Cedar waxwing, which is a fairly common bird 

 throughout the United States and Canada, is better known 

 in most places by the name of cherry bird because of its 

 fondness for fruit. Until the fruit ripens in the late sum- 

 mer the waxwings feed largely upon canker-worms, elm- 

 leaf beetles, and other pests of orchard and shade trees, 

 becoming expert fly catchers in the pursuit of flying in- 



sects. With the ripening of the June berry and the choke 

 cherry, however, the waxwing varies its diet with a con- 

 siderable quantity of fruit, so that often about the sweet 

 cherry trees, particularly where native fruit or mulberries 

 are scarce together with the robin, the oriole, and the 

 woodpecker he becomes a veritable pest. He continues 

 his diet of fruit through the winter until insects appear 

 again in the spring, wandering from the wild grapes to 

 the mountain ash, Boston ivy, and Virginia creeper ber- 

 ries, and finally descending to the barberries in the spring 

 when all other fruit is consumed. They travel in compact 

 flocks until the nesting period, flying with a direct, even 

 flight that can be recognized at a distance. Sometimes 

 these flocks number hundreds of individuals but usually 

 less than a dozen. It is interesting to watch them feed- 

 ing, for they have gained for themselves the reputation of 

 being the only birds or wild animals in which the rudiments 



PATIENCE REWARDED 



The cedar waxwing is called the "cherry bird" because of its fondness for fruit. 

 It more than repays for the damage which it does about sweet cherry trees by 

 the large number of insects which it destroys. 



of etiquette are developed. It is not an uncommon sight to 

 see a small flock arrange themselves on a branch where 

 only the one at the end can reach the fruit. He plucks it 

 and very politely passes it to his neighbor and thus on 

 down the line until the last bird is reached and he swallows 

 it. This may continue for some time before they scatter and 

 commence feeding by themselves. The origin or meaning 

 of this habit has not yet been ascertained but it certainly 

 seems quite in keeping with their quiet, reserved ways, 

 their dignified bearing and polished appearance. 



