Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) - local seasonal appearance

Based on 47 observations in Seymour township, Northumberland county, southeast Ontario, 1999-2003.

This attractive bird may be seen singly, but more often in flocks, especially in November to early February. As of May 2003, it has been recorded in every month of the year. The cedar waxwing breeds across most of the province (Cadman et al., 1987, pp.338-339): the Ontario Atlas records confirmed breeding in 3 quadrants of the area, plus probable breeding in the southwest quadrant.

One often sees a few birds here and there, and occasionally a few tens or hundreds of individuals. They congregate in bare trees and together raise a distinctive, pleasingly gentle squeaking or murmuring tone. The largest recorded flocks comprised approximately 150 birds (02 and 18 December 2001), 300 birds (23-24 December 1999) and 90-120 birds (31 January and 02 February 1999).

The Bohemian waxwing, Bombycilla garrulus, is seen less frequently in southern Ontario, often in company with the more abundant cedar waxwing. A possible sighting was made on 03 December 1999, a month in which the species was seen at numerous locations across southern Ontario, in addition to the single definite sighting of 19 March 2000, recorded in the histogram.

The cedar waxwing is a common resident at Presqu'ile provincial park, roughly 40 km to the south (LaForest, 1993, pp.290-291). It breeds at the park, and is present in very erratic numbers outside the breeding season. The Bohemian waxwing was noted at the park in three winters from 1977 to 1986, perhaps associated with periodic irruptions from its normal territory. It is a sporadic winter visitor in southern Ontario, breeding in the furthest-north area of the province, the Hudson Bay Lowlands (Cadman et al., 1987, p.548).

In Peterborough county, to the northwest, the cedar waxwing is seen year-round. The Bohemian waxwing is mostly encountered from November to mid-April (Sadler, 1983, pp.126,178).

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