Quick Answer
Yes, Cedar Waxwings do live in Texas. The Cedar Waxwing is a medium-sized songbird that is found across much of North America. Its breeding range extends from southern Canada down into the southern United States, including most of Texas. Cedar Waxwings are considered common winter residents and migrants throughout the state.
Overview of Cedar Waxwings
The Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) is a sleek, silky, crested bird named for its unique red wax-like wing tips. These tips look like sealing wax and give the bird its common name.
Some key facts about Cedar Waxwings:
– Medium-sized songbird, about 6.5 inches in length with a wingspan around 11 inches. Weigh roughly 30 grams.
– Smooth gray-brown plumage with a pale yellow belly. Black mask and throat. Crest on its head can lie flat or be erected.
– Tail is gray with bright yellow tip. Wings have red wax-like tips.
– Diet consists mainly of fruit and berries. Also eat insects, flower petals, and tree sap.
– Social birds that travel and forage in flocks of 20 to over 100 birds.
– Breeding habitat includes open woodlands, forest edges, farms, parks, and suburban areas with fruit trees.
– Build nests in the forks of tree branches. Breed May through August.
– Migratory species that roams nomadically in search of fruit sources. Winters across most of U.S. and Mexico.
So in summary, the Cedar Waxwing is a unique looking fruit-eating songbird that is widespread across North America. Next, we’ll look at its distribution and status specifically in the state of Texas.
Range and Distribution in Texas
The Cedar Waxwing occurs year-round across most of Texas as both a breeder and winter visitor.
According to the Texas Breeding Bird Atlas, Cedar Waxwings nest and breed in all of the ecological regions of Texas except for the far western Trans-Pecos region.
They are considered common breeders in the Pineywoods, Post Oak Savannah, and Blackland Prairie regions of east Texas. They are locally common nesting in the Edwards Plateau, Cross Timbers, and Rolling Plains regions. Rare and local breeding also occurs in the South Texas Plains region.
During the winter months, Cedar Waxwings are somewhat more widespread across Texas. They occur in most counties, absent only from some far west and southern parts of the state.
Winter sightings are common throughout central, east, and northeast Texas. Parts of the Panhandle and Trans-Pecos also regularly host wintering flocks.
So in conclusion, Cedar Waxwings maintain breeding populations across most of Texas, from the Pineywoods through to the High Plains. Their winter range covers the entire state except for some southwestern and western areas.
Key Areas and Habitats
Within Texas, some key areas and habitats for finding Cedar Waxwings include:
– Open woodlands with fruiting trees – cedars, pecan, hackberry, mulberry, juniper, hawthorn, and more. Often found along forest edges.
– Parks, gardens, golf courses, cemeteries, and other suburban green spaces with trees and shrubs.
– Riparian areas like creeksides and floodplains that contain willows, cottonwoods, and other water-loving trees.
– Orchards and farms with fruit crops. Fond of berry bushes, grapes, apples, etc.
– Urban areas with landscape plantings, especially areas with introduced ornamentals like flowering crabapples that provide late winter fruit.
So in summary, Cedar Waxwings use a diverse mix of open habitats across Texas but are especially drawn to trees and plants that supply fruit. Next we’ll look at their annual cycle in Texas.
Annual Cycle in Texas
Cedar Waxwings follow an annual migration and breeding cycle in Texas similar to populations elsewhere in their range:
Winter
– Waxwings arrive in Texas September-November.
– Form large nomadic flocks seeking out fruit sources.
– Favor junipers, hackberry, and yaupon holly during winter. Also visit urban trees.
– Sometimes irrupt south during cold weather.
Spring
– Courtship and nesting activities ramp up late March-May.
– Males perform courtship feedings and aerial manoeuvres.
– Breeding timed to fruit ripening on trees like mulberry, serviceberry, willow, and elm.
Summer
– Nesting typically peaks May-July.
– Nest high in a tree fork, 5-15 feet up. 2-6 pale blue eggs.
– Parents feed nestlings regurgitated fruit and insects.
– Fledglings leave nest at 14-18 days old.
Fall
– Adults molt late summer after breeding ends.
– Fruit consumption increases going into fall to fatten up.
– Migration peaks September-November as birds move south for the winter.
So in summary, Cedar Waxwings follow a seasonal cycle in Texas synchronized with the availability of fruiting trees and shrubs needed for feeding and breeding. Their numbers in any one area shift depending on food sources.
Population and Conservation Status
The Cedar Waxwing has an extremely large population estimated at over 45 million individuals across its North American range.
Partners in Flight estimates a breeding population of 250,000 waxwings in Texas alone. They have a species assessment score of only 5 out of a possible 20 in Texas, indicating a species of low conservation concern.
Their populations increased between 1966-2015, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Climate change may benefit waxwings by increasing fruit production in their northern breeding range.
Major threats include:
– Collisions with buildings and towers during migrations.
– Pesticide exposure when feeding on chemically treated fruits.
But overall, the Cedar Waxwing is common and the species is not considered threatened or endangered. Maintaining native fruit-bearing trees and shrubs will help provide habitat across Texas.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Cedar Waxwing is a regular breeding species across most of Texas where suitable habitat exists. It also winters in large numbers statewide.
This sociable songbird relies on trees and shrubs that supply fruit. It prefers open woodlands, forest edges, parks, and suburban plantings. Waxwings nest in summer and then gather in large mobile flocks the rest of the year, feeding on junipers, apples, and other fruits.
With a large and increasing population, the Cedar Waxwing remains secure in Texas and across its range. Protecting stands of native fruiting trees and reducing collisions in urban areas will help conserve these unique songbirds.
Season | Behavior |
---|---|
Winter | Arrive in Texas in large nomadic flocks seeking fruit |
Spring | Courtship activities; Breeding timed to fruit ripening |
Summer | Nesting peaks; Fledglings leave nest at 2 weeks |
Fall | Molting occurs; Migration peaks as birds move south |