Life Cycle
Mating season begins in late spring and runs through late summer. The male courts a female by doing a hopping dance and passing berries or pieces of fruit to the female. It the female is interested, she will do a hopping dance and pass the fruit or berry back to the male! The pair may do this a number of times in a row! After pairs form the female will choose a nest site. The nest is a cup-shaped and made of bark, twigs, moss and grass. The nest is usually made in a conifer tree.
The female cedar waxwing lays four to six eggs. She will incubate the eggs for about 12 days. The male will bring her food and guard the nest while she incubates the eggs. The chicks are born blind and naked. Both parents feed the chicks. The chicks fledge in about two weeks. Both parents will continue to feed them for 6-10 days after they fledge.
Behavior
Cedar waxwings are very social birds. They are non-territorial and will often groom each other. They travel in flocks of 40 or more birds. They often will appear in a spot with a good crop of berries. When they have eaten all the berries, they move on!
Image Credits: Clipart.com unless otherwise noted
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