The Cedar Waxwing - See it now in Sonoma County, California

December 12, 2006 on 7:49 pm | In Bird Alert |

Greetings!
Like most birders, we have trouble ever making up our minds which bird is our favorite, but the Cedar Waxwing certainly vies for first place with me. You will see no more elegant bird, perhaps anywhere in the world. His plumage is so dense and perfect, he seems to be sculpted of soft soap…or dare I say, wax? He gets his name, in fact, from the red wingtips, which to others resembled drops of sealing wax. To me, they have always looked exactly like a book of matches.
Right now is your chance to see this exquisite winter bird, as he migrates through our region of the North Bay.

Where to see the Cedar Waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum today in Sonoma County
My touchstone for when to expect the flocks of Cedar Waxwings is always the persimmon trees that grace this area. When the leaves fall, and the fruit is left hanging on the bare branches, the waxwings always come. I am a bit late in getting this post out, as these birds have now been here for a couple of weeks. If you would like to see them, drive out Hwy 12 to the edge of the little town of Kenwood, and turn on Warm Springs Rd. The road will take a broad curve beside a very prominent row of Poplar trees which are now bare. Park your car in this area and hop out, keeping your eyes and ears alert.

You will likely hear the soft, leisurely zee zee zee of the Cedar Waxwing. Look up into the trees, and there they will be. This week, they were sharing their perches with a charming little flock of Ruby-crowned kinglets. Flocks of waxwings can be quite large, and they are not overly shy, so you should be able to draw close enough to get quite a good view.

Note the beautiful warm fawn color of the plumage, the peaked head and distinctive black mask. Try to hone in on the matchstick wing tips, and the bright yellow tail tip. Should you spot them on a fruit tree, you will see them busily eating. They also enjoy berries of many kinds, tree buds and insects.

Further field notes on the Cedar Waxwing

I have observed the waxwings staying in Sonoma County as late as early spring, when the fruit trees begin to bloom, so you have some good months ahead to attempt adding these birds to your lifelist. In their nesting grounds, they build loose nests of grass and twigs, and they weave these tightly to horizontal branches. 3-6 bluish, spotted eggs are typical. Apart from suburban gardens and orchards, you may come across traveling flocks at the edges of forests.

They are extremely graceful in flight, able to spin and twist in the air, rather like dolphins. We have also occasionally observed Cedar Waxwings doing some type of formation exercise in the trees, which we do not know the purpose of. I can only describe it as a sort of circular relay, as the birds swarm near the tree top, exchanging places on the branches. I would love to know what this is all about.

The Cedar Waxwing is one of the birds that simply leave me in awe of the splendid variety one can enjoy in the natural world. I know of no other bird that looks so perfectly hand-sculpted by the great, imaginative Creator, down to the last stroke. I love to contemplate their perfectness, their dignity. I hope you will take some time to seek waxwings this winter.