July 12th, 2010    Cedar Waxwing

One of our favorite things to report in our journal is the sighting of some marvelous animal -- a large snake, a bear, a coyote or a bobcat. This week, however, there is no animal to report. Instead, it is something left behind by an animal -- a treasure that brings a deep mystery. The treasure we found was one that has eluded us for decades. And then, suddenly, we were blessed with finding one. The treasure? A cedar waxwing flight feather, tipped by the characteristic red 'wax'.

Cedar waxwings are one of our favorite birds -- with their airbrushed appearance and striking mask, they're difficult not to love. Looking through the binoculars, we've always wondered at the small red tips present on some of the wing feathers. We could never get close enough to really know what they were, and always assumed that the red tips must be waxy (for why else would they be named 'waxwing?').

When we found this feather, then, we were eager to uncover the mystery. Magnifying glass and close-up photography, then a good dose of research on the internet, left us without answers. If anything, the mystery is deepened.

The tips aren't made of wax at all -- they're very smooth and resilient, like the material of a feather's shaft. Their color is bright, and they have a light-colored, concave backside. Our internet research tells us that no one really knows why the waxwing has this special trait -- while it seems to be tied to mating preferences and to age, it is nevertheless mysterious why the waxwing has this special 'extra', while most birds do perfectly well with more usual adaptations to attract mates: bright colors, showy tails, and intricate dances.

It's always fun to uncover some trait of nature that we humans have not yet found a suitable explanation for. Just what is the magic of the cedar waxwing's red tips? That's only for the waxwings to know.