Bird Eats Fruit To Get Drunk

Cedar Waxwings are sleek, masked birds found year round in our area with unusual red, waxy deposits at the tips of their secondary feathers. They are cinnamon-colored, with grayish wings and tails and yellow terminal tail-bands. They have distinctive crested heads, black throats, and black masks lined with white.
The Cedar Waxwing is one of the few North American birds that specialize in eating fruit. It can survive on fruit alone for several months. They also eat flying insects and can often by seen fly-catching, particularly over Haldimand and Norfolk County streams.

Cedar waxwings are very sociable, non-aggressive birds that often travel in flocks, though they may pair off during breeding season. It is very rare to find solitary waxwings. Because they frequently feast on overripe fruit, these birds can become “drunk” on the fermented juices. For the Silo, Dixie Greenwood.