I got a much better look at the cedar waxwings in my backyard this morning - and, as Casey Tucker writes, they seemed to be eating the first of the locust flowers that have bloomed in the past 24 hours. Heather Nagy Pataskala ----- Original Message ----- From: "TUCKER, Casey" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 2:56 PM Subject: [Ohio-birds] Waxwing diets Hi All, I'm passing this information along only because I think it's kinda' cool and some of you might as well. There are some really thorough studies on the feeding preferences of waxwings at different times of the year. Waxwings are considered almost obligate fruit-eaters. In fact, they're so specific in their fruit preference that they're almost incapable of digesting too much else. They primarily eat fruits high in sugar content. The reason they're considered 'almost' obligate fruit-eaters is because they do occasionally feed on other food items, like the cottonwood catkins mentioned previously, insects, and even each other (there is a published study on a single incident of waxwing cannibalism), however their gut is not efficient at digesting proteins and fats. Many insects are fed to nestlings while they're in the nest, and even this is supplemented with fruit. One study suggests that in May, when fruit is scarce, 44% of the diet of Cedar Waxwings consists of flowers (petals and stamens) (If you've ever eaten flowers you'll know they have a sweet flavor to them). About 40% of the diet in May is insects, and only about 30% in June and July. It becomes even less (~20%) in August and September. From October to April 99% of the diet consists of fruit. Frugivory declines in May, when fruit is scarce, but increases in June as early summer fruits became available. There are mainly five orders of insects that waxwings prefer to eat. These are Coleoptera (beetles), Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, ants), Diptera (flies), Lepidoptera (moths, butterflies, etc.), and Hemiptera (true bugs). Even these they eat at different times of the year. For example scale insects were consumed more often in May and June, and certain Chrysomelid beetles were eaten in mid-July. Other "things" found in waxwing guts has included snail shell fragments, oyster shell fragments, and grit. Again, just something to look for as you're out watching waxwings this spring and summer. Thanks, Casey Columbus, OH ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]