Time to Listen

Cedar waxwing resting on a branch

I always hear them before I see them. Their soft, charming songs echo throughout the forest and eventually reach my ears. They flutter at the branches of fruit-bearing trees to nab a tasty snack. They are cedar waxwings, and to me, they are the most marvelous birds there are.

 I’m not positive why I love them so much – it’s just one of those things. The birds aren’t rare in our parts; they aren’t flashy or remarkably colorful, yet I always get excited when I spot one.

 I feel that cedar waxwings are very much underrated. Cardinals get a lot of attention; everyone recognizes the bird when they see it. But a cedar waxwing… what is that?

 Allow me.

Cedar waxwings can be found across the United States all year, and make their way to Canada in the summer. Acclimated to the cool weather of the North Country, cedar waxwings sometimes remain in the area during the winter. Although they do migrate south, the birds generally follow a nomadic migration pattern, moving where the food is. They feed mainly on fruits and berries, but they eat insects as well.

The cedar waxwing, scientifically labeled Bombycilla cedrorum, is a medium-sized bird with a brown head and chest; it blends in. The color fades from brown to a light gray on the wings, which are tipped with bright yellow droplets. The subtle hues of earth tones adorned by the bird enable it to hide and go unnoticed.

Their bellies are lemon-yellow, a trait that distinguishes cedar waxwings from their relatives, Bohemian waxwings. Sporting a black mask neatly traced in white, the birds strike me as very mysterious, which is perhaps why I find them so fascinating. Atop their heads, the birds are crowned with subtle crests, appropriate of the modest creatures.

Perhaps because the cedar waxwing appears to be so simple – an average Joe, if you will – I can relate to the bird so strongly. It doesn’t want attention. It just wants to live and let live.

I feel that in general, people tend to be in such a rush these days that they don’t “stop to smell the roses,” to be cliché. But I find this also applies when lending an ear to the lovely notes of a songbird.

They may not be extraordinary, unusual, or the most strikingly beautiful birds of the forest, but cedar waxwings should not be overlooked because of their normalcy; they deserve a little recognition once in a while. I think it’s about time we listen.

Range map: Yellow - summer range; Green - all year range; Blue - winter range