Cedar Waxwings are beautiful birds that many backyard birders enjoy having visit their feeders. With their soft gray plumage, bright yellow tail tips, and striking red wing spots, they add a splash of color to the winter landscape. Attracting these sociable birds takes a bit of strategizing, but it can be done with the right approach.
What do Cedar Waxwings Eat?
Cedar Waxwings are primarily fruit eaters. Their diet consists mainly of berries and small fruits such as serviceberries, mulberries, raspberries, strawberries, and juniper berries. During the winter months when berries are scarce, they will switch to eating apples, maple sap, cottonwood buds, and ornamental crabapples.
Waxwings do not regularly eat bird seed, suet, or other foods typically offered at bird feeders. The best way to attract them is by providing their preferred berry diet. Ideally, include both native berry-producing shrubs and trees as well as ornamental landscape plants that produce winter berries.
Native Plants
Here are some native plants that provide waxwing berries in winter:
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier species) – produces small berries in June/July
- Hackberry trees (Celtis species) – produce persistent berries in fall/winter
- Hawthorns (Crataegus species) – produce hawberries in fall/winter
- Crabapple trees (Malus species) – many varieties produce persistent winter fruit
- Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) – waxy blue juniper berries
Ornamental Plants
Some non-native ornamental plants also produce winter berries for waxwings:
- Pyracantha – orange or red berries persists into winter
- Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) – bright red berries on bare branches
- Cotoneaster – produces clusters of red or black berries
- Highbush cranberry (Viburnum trilobum) – bright red persistant berries
Prioritize plants that retain their fruit into winter. Cedar Waxwings rely on these cold-weather food sources to survive. Aim to include several berry-producing species to provide a variety of options.
Plant in Groups
Cedar Waxwings are highly social. They travel and forage in large flocks, often numbering 100 birds or more. To attract them, it’s best to plant potential food sources in close groups rather than scattered as individual specimens.
Aim for groupings of at least 3 plants of the same species located near each other. This offers a bountiful food source that can sustain many birds at once. For very small properties, you can group berry plants together in a special raised bed or planter.
Leave Some Fruit on Bushes
When maintaining berry-producing plants, be sure to leave some fruit on the branches into winter. Birds rely on these cold weather food supplies. Prune only to shape the plant, and avoid removing all berries.
With ornamental berry plants like pyracantha or winterberry holly, don’t worry if the shrub looks unkempt. The birds will thank you for it!
Offer Ornamental Crabapples
Ornamental crabapple varieties that hold their small ripe fruits into winter are magnets for waxwings and other birds. The persistent fruits often last into spring on the bare branches.
Plant several crabapple trees together to create an inviting food source. Some top varieties for birds include:
- Sargent crabapple (Malus sargentii) – small deep red fruits
- Red Splendor crabapple – bright red persistent fruits
- Prairie Fire crabapple – red fruits last into winter
- Spring Snow crabapple – abundant 1/4″ white fruits
Aim for disease-resistant varieties, and prune annually to improve fruiting and tree health. A trio of ornamental crabapples can provide bountiful waxwing forage.
Provide Water
Cedar waxwings will drink and bathe in bird baths, so providing a reliable, clean water source can further attract these birds.
Choose a bath style and location that minimizes freezing in winter. Options include:
- Placing baths in sunny spots to maximize warmth
- Choosing heated birdbath models
- Installing a small recirculating water pump and filter
- Switching to plastic instead of ceramic to prevent cracking
Move baths to a sheltered area and keep heaters and circulators working properly. Provide fresh water daily if possible.
Use Fruit to Supplement Feeders
Although cedar waxwings naturally prefer fruit, you can try offering other foods during winter scarcity. Supplementing berry bushes with feeder foods may help attract them.
Try these feeding options tailored to waxwings:
- Halved apples – Impale cut apple halves on branches, spikes, or platform feeders. Choose smaller varieties like Honeycrisp.
- Grapes – Offer seedless grapes clipped in small bunches to mesh feeders or platform trays.
- Berry mixes – Use commercial no-sugar-added berry blends intended for birds.
- Orange slices – Skewer orange slices or wedge them onto platform trays.
Favor fruits with bright colors, as these are more attractive to waxwings. Check feeders daily and remove any rotting produce. Feeders should supplement berries, not replace them entirely.
Use Strategic Feeder Placement
Where you place feeders and water stations can impact Cedar Waxwing visits:
- Site them within 3-10 feet of berry-producing plants.
- Avoid placing them directly against windows to prevent collisions.
- Locate them in open areas with wide sightlines for approaching birds.
- Elevate them above ground level on posts or hang from branches.
- Face them towards shelter like hedges or trees to block wind.
Having multiple feeder and bath set-ups around the yard increases total feeding opportunities. Over time, waxwings will discover them.
Be Patient
It may take weeks or months for waxwings to find and habituate to new food sources in your yard. They are nomadic in winter and will travel long distances in search of food.
Implement changes like new plantings early so berries have time to develop. Leave plants and fruits available over consecutive seasons. With time, waxwings may return annually to productive food sites.
Avoid Pesticides
Minimize use of pesticides and insecticides on your property whenever possible. Cedar waxwings rely on eating berries directly off branches, so chemicals could be harmful if consumed.
Practice organic gardening methods instead. Or at minimum, use pesticides selectively only on problem areas instead of entire plants or yards.
Pay Attention to Ripening
Different berry-producing plants ripen their fruits at slightly different times. To offer the most continuous food supply, consider staggering plantings.
For example, serviceberries ripen in early summer, pyracantha berries develop in fall, and crabapples last into winter. Having a sequence of ripening times ensures waxwings will have options through the seasons.
Protect Windows
Cedar waxwings can fatally collide with windows when flying between landscape plants and feeders. There are a few options to make glass more visible and prevent strikes:
- Apply decals, tape, sun catchers, or other markers at multiple heights on glass.
- Install external screens over windows.
- Use strings, feathers, or other objects to hang several inches outside to break up reflections.
- Keep feeders and baths at least 3 feet from windows to reduce acceleration.
Summary
Here are the key tips for attracting cedar waxwings:
- Plant native trees and shrubs that produce winter berries.
- Include ornamental landscape plants with persistent fruits.
- Grow potential food sources in close groups rather than scattered.
- Prune selectively to maximize fruits remaining on branches.
- Provide clean birdbaths that don’t freeze readily.
- Try offering sliced fruit at feeders to supplement berries.
- Position feeders strategically within sightlines of food plants.
- Allow time for waxwings to discover and habituate to new food sources.
- Stagger plantings so some food is always available.
- Make windows safe with deterrents to prevent collisions.
With the right landscape plants and a little patience, you can enjoy watching vibrant flocks of cedar waxwings visit your yard. These unique birds will add lively winter interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time of year do waxwings appear?
Cedar waxwings are present across much of North America year-round, but they are nomadic in winter and move unpredictably following food sources. During cold months they wander widely, so winter berry plantings help attract flocks to a yard.
How long do waxwings stay in one area?
Cedar waxwings are vagrant in winter and rarely stay long in one spot. They may descend on a fruiting tree or bush in huge numbers, voraciously eating berries over several days or weeks before moving on. Their presence is transient until they migrate north to breed in spring.
Do cedar waxwings migrate?
Yes, cedar waxwings are migratory. They breed during summer across southern Canada and the northern U.S. In fall, they migrate south and range as far as Panama for winter. Migration peaks in late September and early October as they leave breeding grounds.
What sound does a cedar waxwing make?
Cedar waxwings make very high-pitched squeaky calls described as “seee” or “phee-bee.” Flocks keep in contact using these thin whistling calls while in flight and when perched. They can sound almost electrical in large groups.
Do cedar waxwings come to suet feeders?
No, cedar waxwings are rarely attracted to suet feeders. As fruit specialists, suet and other animal-based foods are not part of their natural diet. They prefer berries and supplements like fruit at feeders instead of insect foods.
What plants attract cedar waxwings?
Some top plants that attract waxwings with winter berries and fruits are:
- Crabapples – Persistent ripe fruits on bare branches
- Hawthorns – Fruits often last into winter
- Junipers – Waxy blue juniper berries are eaten
- Serviceberry – June/July berries are consumed
- Winterberry holly – Bright winter berries on bare branches
Do cedar waxwings eat mealworms?
No. Cedar waxwings do not eat live insects like mealworms. They are fruit-eating specialists, not insectivores. Dried mealworms offered at feeders will also be ignored, as they prefer berries and fruit instead.
What bird is most similar to a cedar waxwing?
Another crested fruit-loving species often confused with waxwings is the Bohemian waxwing. However, this closely related species is found only in the mountainous northwest into Alaska. It is larger, paler gray, and has white wing stripes.
Conclusion
Cedar waxwings brighten up backyards and garden landscapes during the winter months where they occur. While they can be nomadic and difficult to attract, providing the right berry-producing native plants will help draw in these unique fruit-loving birds. With sleek plumage and energetic flocks, waxwings are a delight to observe at feeders and in the garden when their favorite fruits are available.
