Cedar waxwings are medium-sized songbirds that are found across North America. They get their name from the waxy red tips on their secondary wing feathers, which look like sealing wax. Cedar waxwings have a varied diet that changes depending on the season and food availability. In summer, cedar waxwings switch from eating fruit to feeding more on protein-rich insects and other invertebrates to fuel breeding and nesting.
Fruits
Even though cedar waxwings eat more insects in summer, fruits still make up an important part of their diet when available. They often feed on fruits just as they are starting to ripen, including mulberries, serviceberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Cedar waxwings use their excellent vision while perched on branches to spot ripe fruit. They will fly out to pluck the fruits, often returning to the same perches between foraging flights. Berries high in fat and protein, like juniper berries, are especially sought after by nesting waxwings to gain energy.
Insects and Other Invertebrates
With increased energy needs during breeding season, cedar waxwings rely more heavily on protein-rich insects and other invertebrates to feed their young. Cicadas, dragonflies, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, spiders, and more are eaten by waxwings. They often catch insects while flying, though they also glean them from leaves and branches. Cedar waxwings are aerial foragers, meaning they catch insects on the wing. Summer is prime time for waxwings to build up fat reserves by gorging on insects.
Where Cedar Waxwings Find Insects
Cedar waxwings seek out a variety of habitats when foraging for insects in summer, including:
- Woodland edges
- Open meadows
- Marshes and shorelines
- Forest clearings
- Over rivers and lakes
Waxwings catch insects both high in the treetops and close to the ground. They hawk flying insects anywhere from the canopy to just above the grass. Their wide-ranging diet means waxwings can adapt to changing food sources.
How Cedar Waxwings Catch Insects
Cedar waxwings have several key adaptations that help them thrive on catching insects:
- Speedy flight – Waxwings are fast and agile fliers, able to aerobatically catch insects mid-flight.
- Sharp vision – Excellent eyesight allows waxwings to spot insects from far away.
- Sit-and-wait hunting – Waxwings often perch and scan for prey before flying out to snatch bugs.
- Aerial hawking – Waxwings grab insects while flying without landing first.
- Hover gleaning – They sometimes hover briefly to pick off insects from foliage.
Nectar and Sap
In addition to fruit and insects, cedar waxwings supplement their diet with nectar and tree sap. They occasionally feed on flower nectar, favoring tubular blossoms where they can reach the nectar with their tongues. Waxwings also feed on sap from holes created by sapsuckers. The sap provides an additional source of sugar.
Foraging Behavior
Cedar waxwings often forage together in large flocks, sometimes numbering over a hundred birds. There are several advantages to flock foraging:
- Many eyes make insect hunting more efficient.
- Information spreads quickly about newly discovered food.
- Flocks can better defend resources.
- Larger groups intimidate predators.
Flock foraging means food resources are quickly discovered and shared. In summer, waxwing flocks follow insect hatches as they move northward, feeding on emerging dragonflies, mayflies, beetles, and other nutritious prey.
Adaptations for Feeding
Cedar waxwings have several physical and behavioral adaptations that help them feed on their varied summer diet:
Tongue Brush
Waxwings have a tongue tipped with fine, hair-like bristles called a tongue brush. This adaptation helps them efficiently lap up fruit juices and nectar.
Long Tail
The cedar waxwing’s long tail provides stability and maneuverability during aerial pursuit of insects. This aids their sit-and-wait hunting strategy.
Crested Head
Their thin, spiked crest may help waxwings spot prey and judge distances while hunting insects.
Wide Vision
Waxwings have excellent, panoramic vision to help them see food sources over a wide area. Their eyes are specially adapted to see into the ultraviolet spectrum.
Coordinated Flocks
By foraging socially, waxwings can better take advantage of patchy food sources as they communicate new finds across their network.
Diet Changes Over Summer
Cedar waxwing diets shift as summer progresses and their energy needs change:
Early Summer
In late spring and early summer, waxwings feed heavily on insects like mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies that emerge en masse from rivers and lakes. They also eat some ripening berries.
Mid Summer
In peak summer, waxwings switch to mainly eating insects like damselflies, dragonflies, butterflies, and moths that become abundant. They supplement with fruit when available.
Late Summer
As summer wanes, waxwings consume more berries, fruits, sap, and nectar to build up fat stores before migration. Insects still feature in their diet.
Measuring Cedar Waxwing Diets
Scientists use several methods to study the summer diets of cedar waxwings:
- Direct observation – Documenting waxwings foraging and feeding in the wild.
- Fecal analysis – Microscopically analyzing the remains of prey in their droppings.
- Stomach content analysis – Examining stomach contents of collected waxwing specimens.
- Foraging surveys – Surveying habitats for food resources used by waxwings.
By combining these techniques, researchers gain a clear picture of cedar waxwing diets across different times and locations.
Unique Feeding Behaviors
Cedar waxwings exhibit interesting feeding behaviors adapted to their diet:
Fruit Tossing
Waxwings sometimes toss berries in the air and catch them to remove stems and leaves before swallowing.
Flock Foraging
They forage socially, with food calls rapidly spreading through flocks when a new source is found.
Caching Food
Waxwings occasionally cache fruits and insects underneath bark scales or lichens to eat later.
Gleaning and Hawking
Waxwings glean stationary insects from leaves but also hawk flying insects, seamlessly switching tactics.
Perch Hunting
A frequent waxwing strategy is perch-hunting, sitting and watching for prey before flying out to capture it.
Impact on Fruit Crops
Waxwing flocks can damage fruit crops when they descend on orchards and berry patches to feed. Some impacts include:
- Eating ripe fruit – Waxwings directly damage the crop by consuming berries, apples, etc.
- Breaking branches – Flocks may break fruit tree branches with their weight.
- Scaring other birds – Abundant waxwings scare away other fruit-eating birds.
- Spreading disease – When they feed, waxwings can spread fruit tree diseases like black knot.
- Causing noise – Their constant calls disturb farmers and birds alike.
However, waxwings also help farmers by devouring insects that damage crops. Their impact is complex.
Conclusion
Cedar waxwings are versatile foragers with varied summer diets. While they eat more fruit in other seasons, waxwings switch to mainly eating protein-rich insects and other invertebrates in summer to sustain breeding. Their adaptable feeding behaviors and social foraging allows them to take advantage of abundant but patchy food sources. Waxwings are fascinating birds perfectly adapted to make the most of summer’s bounty.