Cedar Waxwing

Bombycilla cedrorum

Waxwings spend most of the year in flocks, and hundreds will suddenly appear in an area to eat a crop of berries, only to vanish when the berries are all gone. Adults store food for the young in the crop, a pouch located in the throat, and may spit out as many as 30 wild cherries, one at a time, into the gaping mouths of the nestlings. These birds have the amusing habit of passing berries or even apple blossoms from one bird to the next down a long row sitting on a branch, until one bird eats the food.

Look For : Pointed crest, black face mask, and yellow band at end of gray tail. Also has red markings near wing tips. Travels in flocks.

Length : 6 1/2-8".

Habitat : Forests, suburbs.

Range : Widespread.