What Do Cedar Waxwings Eat? Complete Diet Guide by Season
Quick Answer
Cedar Waxwings are fruit specialists: roughly 80–84% of their annual diet consists of berries and small fruits, supplemented with insects during the breeding season. Their menu shifts with the calendar — lingering winter berries and tree sap in spring, protein-rich insects for chicks in summer, a heavy “berry blitz” in fall, and persistent fruits that survive frost in winter.
The Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) is one of North America’s most specialized songbirds. With its sleek masked face, silky plumage, and distinctive red wax-like wing tips, it stands out visually — and even more so through its diet. Unlike seed-cracking cardinals or earthworm-hunting robins, the Cedar Waxwing is a dedicated frugivore. Its life cycle, movements, and social behavior all revolve around the seasonal availability of fruit.
This guide explains exactly what Cedar Waxwings eat, how their diet changes by season, and why those choices matter for forest health.
Overview of Cedar Waxwing Diet
Cedar Waxwings rank among the most frugivorous temperate songbirds in North America. Gut-content studies show that fruit makes up about 84% of their annual diet, with insects and flower parts making up the rest (Witmer 1996; Cornell Lab of Ornithology).
This heavy reliance on sugary fruit shapes their nomadic lifestyle. Because fruit ripens at different times and places, waxwings rarely hold fixed territories. Instead, they travel in social flocks that follow ripening crops across the landscape.
Fruit provides quick carbohydrates but is low in protein. As a result, waxwings increase insect consumption during the breeding season when chicks need amino acids for rapid growth. They also occasionally drink tree sap and eat flower petals.
Key Takeaways
- Annual diet: ~80–84% fruit, ~12% insects, ~4% flowers
- Most insectivorous in spring and early summer
- Excellent seed dispersers — they swallow fruit whole and pass seeds intact
- Can become temporarily intoxicated on fermented berries
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Cedar Waxwings are opportunistic but strongly prefer soft, high-sugar fruits. Common choices include:
- Native wild berries: serviceberries (Amelanchier), dogwoods (Cornus), hawthorns, eastern red cedar/juniper, elderberries, viburnums, winterberry holly, and wild grapes
- Garden and cultivated fruits: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, sour cherries, and mulberries
- Late-winter survivors: mountain ash, rose hips, crabapples, and persistent cedar berries
- Non-native species: honeysuckle, privet, and buckthorn — these help birds survive but also aid the spread of invasive plants
Seasonal Diet Changes
| Season | Primary Foods | Secondary Foods | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring (Mar–May) | Lingering juniper/cedar berries, flower buds & petals | Tree sap (maple, elm), early insects | Fruit scarce; flowers can form a large share of the May diet |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | Mulberries, serviceberries, cherries, strawberries | Soft-bodied insects (mayflies, midges, caterpillars) | Peak insect use to feed nestlings |
| Fall (Sep–Nov) | Dogwood, wild grapes, viburnums, mountain ash | Remaining summer fruits | Heavy fruit focus to build fat reserves |
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | Holly, juniper/cedar, rose hips, crabapples | Whatever persistent fruit remains | Most likely season to visit backyard fruit feeders |
Insects & Animal Prey
Although fruit dominates, insects are essential during the breeding season. They supply protein, fats, calcium, and amino acids needed for egg production, feather growth, and chick development (Cornell Lab).
- When: Primarily spring through early summer
- What: Soft-bodied insects such as mayflies, midges, caddisflies, damselflies, ants, termites, leafhoppers, and non-hairy caterpillars. They generally avoid hard-shelled beetles and very hairy caterpillars.
- How: Mainly by “hawking” — short flights from a perch to snatch flying insects — and by gleaning from foliage, often near streams or ponds.
What Do Baby / Nestling Cedar Waxwings Eat?
Nestlings begin life on a high-protein diet. For the first several days, parents feed them almost exclusively regurgitated soft-bodied insects. Around day 5–7, small soft berries are gradually introduced. By the time young leave the nest, their diet is roughly a 50/50 mix of insects and fruit, shifting toward the adult fruit-heavy pattern as they mature.
Ecological Role & Interesting Facts
Cedar Waxwings are important seed dispersers. Because they swallow fruit whole and pass seeds largely intact, they help regenerate forests and move native plants across the landscape (Birds of the World).
They are also known for occasional intoxication. When waxwings eat large quantities of overripe, fermented berries, the alcohol can cause temporary disorientation, uncoordinated flight, or collisions. Most birds recover within a few hours as their metabolism processes the alcohol. Rare mass-mortality events linked to fermented fruit have been documented.
FAQs about Cedar Waxwing Diet
Q: Will Cedar Waxwings eat at bird feeders?
A: They rarely visit traditional seed feeders. However, they will eagerly visit platform feeders that offer sliced apples, oranges, raisins, currants, or fresh blueberries. Soaking dried raisins in water overnight makes them more appealing.
Q: Do Cedar Waxwings eat birdseed?
A: No. They are not seed-eaters. Their beaks are short, flat, and broad, not designed for cracking hard sunflower or millet seeds. They may occasionally pick at bits of cracked corn but will not eat it as a staple.
Q: What should I do if I find a drunk Cedar Waxwing?
A: If you find a waxwing that appears intoxicated (unable to fly, stumbling), place it in a dark, quiet, well-ventilated box in a warm, safe area. Leave it alone for an hour or two. It will likely metabolize the alcohol and fly away. If it does not recover in a few hours, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator.
Q: Do Cedar Waxwings eat dog food or bread?
A: No. They are strict frugivores/insectivores. Bread offers zero nutritional value to them and can cause blockages. Never feed bread to wild birds. Dog food is too high in fat and not natural to them.
Q: Can I feed them jelly?
A: Yes! Cedar Waxwings are highly attracted to grape jelly, just like orioles. You can place small amounts of grape jelly in a shallow dish. However, make sure it is sugar-free or contains natural sugars, as artificial sweeteners are toxic to birds.
Q: Do they drink water?
A: Yes. They need water just like any other bird. A shallow birdbath with clean water, preferably with a dripper to create sound, is highly attractive to them.
Conclusion
To attract them, skip the seed feeders and plant serviceberry, holly, or native dogwoods in your yard, provide a source of fresh water, and you'll soon be rewarded with the sight of these soft-plumaged wanderers polishing off the fruits of your labor, one berry at a time.
Cedar Waxwings survive on a sugar-rich, fruit-dominated diet that few other temperate songbirds can match. Their seasonal shift from protein-rich insects in the breeding months to carbohydrate-dense berries in fall and winter is a clear example of dietary flexibility.
To attract them, skip seed feeders. Instead, plant native fruiting species such as serviceberry, dogwood, or winterberry holly, provide fresh water, and you may be rewarded with flocks of these elegant, masked birds.
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