- 5.5–6.7 in - 8.7–11.8 in - 1.1 oz - Slightly smaller than a
Bohemian Waxwing - Ampelis Americano, Picotera, Chinito
(Spanish) - Jaseur d' Amérique (French) - The name "waxwing"
comes from the waxy red secretions found on the tips of the
secondaries of some birds. The exact function of these tips is
not known, but they may help attract mates. - Cedar Waxwings
with orange instead of yellow tail tips began appearing in the
northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada in the 1960s. The
orange color is the result of a red pigment picked up from the
berries of an introduced species of honeysuckle. If a waxwing
eats enough of the berries while it is growing a tail feather,
the tip of the feather will be orange. - The Cedar Waxwing is
one of the few North American birds that specializes in eating
fruit. It can survive on fruit alone for several months. Brown-
headed Cowbirds that are raised in Cedar Waxwing nests typically
don’t survive, in part because the cowbird chicks can’t develop
on such a high-fruit diet. - Many