How to Attract Cedar Waxwings: Berries and Water
Cedar waxwings are silky tan birds with a crest, a black mask, and a yellow-tipped tail. They travel in flocks looking for fruit and rarely visit seed feeders, so the way to bring them in is with berries and water.
Plant berry trees and shrubs
Waxwings eat mostly fruit. Serviceberry, dogwood, winterberry, juniper (eastern red cedar), crabapple, and mountain ash all draw them in.
Choose plants that hold fruit into winter, since waxwings wander widely in the cold months looking for it.
Offer moving water
Waxwings drink and bathe often, and a bubbling or dripping bird bath catches their attention. In winter, a heated bath can bring a whole flock to your yard.
Birds notice moving water from far away. This floating solar pump turns any bird bath into a small fountain in spring and summer, with no wiring.
Check price on Amazon for AISITIN 2.5W Solar Bird Bath Fountain Pump (opens Amazon)Open water in winter brings in birds that never visit seed feeders, like robins and bluebirds. This bath has a built-in thermostat, so it only heats when the water is close to freezing.
Check price on Amazon for API 970 Heated Bird Bath with Stand (opens Amazon)Be patient
Cedar waxwings are nomadic. A flock may visit for a day or two, strip a shrub of berries, and move on. Keep an eye on your fruiting plants in late fall and winter.
Frequently asked questions
Do cedar waxwings eat birdseed?
Almost never. They eat berries and other fruit, plus insects in summer.
Why do cedar waxwings sometimes act strangely?
Overripe, fermented berries can make them tipsy. It's one reason to avoid big windows near fruiting shrubs.
Where do the waxy tips come from?
The red tips on their wing feathers are made of pigment from the berries they eat. Scientists still aren't sure what they're for.
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