Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum - Vieillot, 1808
This Cedar Waxwing had been visiting fruiting European Ash trees this weekend in a Baker City neighborhood, and with its flock, had been feasting on the tree's berries. During the fun, the juvenile bird injured its right wing, which rendered it unable to fly, except for very short distances. Its nomadic flock eventually moved on leaving the bird near the ash tree to fend for itself. To protect it from neighborhood cats I have put it in a cage to hopefully recover. I feed it two different species of ash berries, Oregon Grape berries, and the little red berries of a solanum that it was eating when I picked it up. It began eating ash berries within ten minutes of being put in the hospital cage and its wing has improved some in the first 24 hours. I'm optimistic about its recovery as long as the wing isn't broken. The photo below shows the injured and droopy right wing.
The young bird's plight inspired me to write this somewhat dark and corny poem:
I found a Cedar Waxwing, looking listless and forlorn,
between an ash and an apple tree, hoping to make it to the morn.
Eye mask with yellow-tipped tail, red lines on wing too torn.
I put it in a cage, set out in the sun.
With berries too, but they weren't much fun.
It wondered where all its friends had gone
And if the cage would keep it for long,
It hoped it would see the flock again-- to be delighted by their song.
Brought it in this evening to warm it through the night--
it sat on its perch hearing music, in the dim artificial light.
Its excitement came with the organ,
in the house of the rising sun.
And Bob Marley too, rang true as well,
with "you think your in heaven but you're living in hell."
And so it was, but who knew?
between an ash and an apple tree, hoping to make it to the morn.
Eye mask with yellow-tipped tail, red lines on wing too torn.
I put it in a cage, set out in the sun.
With berries too, but they weren't much fun.
It wondered where all its friends had gone
And if the cage would keep it for long,
It hoped it would see the flock again-- to be delighted by their song.
Brought it in this evening to warm it through the night--
it sat on its perch hearing music, in the dim artificial light.
Its excitement came with the organ,
in the house of the rising sun.
And Bob Marley too, rang true as well,
with "you think your in heaven but you're living in hell."
And so it was, but who knew?
______
The waxwings are named for the bright red waxy lines that stand out against the gray and black of this birds wings.
The birds relish the small blue berries found on ornamental junipers around town in winter when there are not many berries left to eat. Unfortunately, the non-native European starlings take much of the berry crop in town, often leaving little for the waxwings, robins, and other native birds. They stop their nomadic ways to breed during summer. You can find them in riparian areas with dependable food sources in Baker County. I see them regularly in late spring and summer down in the Powder Rover Canyon between Goose Creek and Richland.
You can find more information on Cedar Waxings at Cornell Lab: All About Birds and at Wikipedia: Cedar Waxwing.
Updated 10/3/18
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