556 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 
252. Cedar-bird. Bombycilla cedrorum V7cill. (619) 
Synonyms: Cedar Waxwing, Carolina Waxwing, Common Waxwing, Cherry-bird. 
—Ampelis cedrorum of most authors.—Ampelis americana, Wils., 1808.—Bombycilla 
carolinensis, Steph., 1817. 
Figures 128, 129. 
The pointed crest and yellow-tipped tail, with the olive wings which show 
no white, are characteristic of this bird at all ages and seasons. Adults 
may or may not have red ‘“sealing-wax” tips on the inner wing-feathers. 
Distribution.—North America at large, from the Fur Countries south- 
ward. In winter from the northern border of the United States south to 
the West Indies and Costa Rica. Breeds from Virginia, the southern 
Alleghanies, Kentucky, Kansas, etc. northward. 
The well known Cedar-bird or Cherry-bird is abundantly distributed 
over the entire state, being most abundant in summer, but a few remaining 
through the winter. 
Iiven at Marquette, on 
the south shore of Lake 
Superior, it frequently 
winters and in some 
numbers. Apparently 
the severity of the 
winter has little to do 
with its residence, but 
it is more frequently 
seen during January and 
February than during 
December. Undoubt- 
edly the great bulk of 
the species moves south- 
ward entirely out of the 
state in the late fall and 
returns again in earliest 
spring, frequently in the 
latter part of February 
and always before the 
end of March. At this 
time it is oftenest seen 
in flocks of twenty Fig. 128. Cedar-bird. 
to fifty individuals, From photograph of mounted specimen. 
a E (Original.) 
although bands of 
several hundred are by no means uncommon. A little later, in April and 
early May, it often becomes quite scarce, but reappears in large numbers 
during June when the small fruits begin to ripen. At this time it is still 
in flocks, although some of the birds may be already nesting and it seldom 
visits the cherry trees singly or in pairs, but usually in companies of ten to 
thirty. 
It is erratic in its nesting, the greater part of the birds apparently nesting 
in June and many of them again early in August, while nests are occasionally 
found late in August or even in September. Dr. Gibbs states that nests 
found at IXalamazoo June 12 and 15, 1877 with four eggs each are about 
