Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
Place observed
Tylee Marsh, former golf course aera and Charbonneau Park area
Description
The American Waxwing measures between 17 and 20 cm. Males and females have the same appearance. Their plumage is caramel brown and pale yellow on the belly. They have a brown crest and a black mask. The tip of their tail has a bright yellow stripe and the wing tips of adults are marked with small red tips. Juveniles are more gray and less colorful.
Habitat and diet
Its range covers North and Central America and the Caribbean. It is a bird that often travels in flocks and frequents environments where shrubs with small fruits grow, because they are the basis of its diet. It also occasionally eats flower petals and insects, especially mayflies.
Breeding
The breeding season of these birds begins with a particular ritual: perched, male and female feed each other flower petals and other food, while rubbing their beaks. They form a monogamous pair and both work on the nest, building it mostly on a horizontal tree branch, far from the trunk. The finest materials such as hair and moss are used to line the inside of the nest. The female then lays 3 to 5 eggs and incubation lasts 12 to 16 days. The babies are then fed by their parents for 14 to 18 days before leaving the nest.
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