Handsome Bandits Devour Persimmons

Why are they called waxwings?” a neighbor whispered after I flagged him down and waved him in for his first view of Cedar Waxwings doing what they do best: devouring ripe fruit. Such a good question. 

Cedar Waxwing with persimmon bits on its bill. Nikon D600, 200mm lens 1/800 sec f/9.0, ISO 400 @BethAnnMathews

Two species of Waxwings live in North America, Bohemian and Cedar. Both have unusual waxy extensions on their secondary wing feathers that look like the tips of toothpicks dipped into a melted carmen-red crayon. 

While photographing these handsome bandits, I had been wondering what the bright red spikes were made of and what function they served.  The waxy substance is derived from a carotenoid pigment (astaxanthin) found in the feathers of some other birds (Mountjoy & Robertson 1988), but the cooler story relates to the likely function of these gem-like accessories.  

Cedar Waxwing

Bombycilla cedrorum

In lots of bird species, males develop showy feathers (think peacocks and bowerbirds) or more vibrant patches of colors (e.g., redwing blackbirds) during the breeding season. Such ornamentation can convey fitness or general health information to females in search of a mate. That is, less healthy males are less likely to have the nutritional reserves necessary to invest more in pigments or structural proteins necessary to support extra long or vibrantly-colored plumage compared to healthier competitors.

What’s different and cool about Waxwings, though, is that both males and females develop the waxy tips. Why might that be?

Let me know what you learn or wonder and I’ll post your comments.

Cedar Waxwings often forage in flocks. Can you find the four birds in this image? The stray, flared feather in the top notch of the most prominent bird caught my attention.

Let’s keep asking questions. This personal experience with Cedar Waxwings drove me to want to know more. Have a wonderful holiday and winter!