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Gail Miller | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> CEDAR WAXWING WITH ORANGE TAIL TIPS INSTEAD OF YELLOW TAIL TIPS tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

CEDAR WAXWING WITH ORANGE TAIL TIPS INSTEAD OF YELLOW TAIL TIPS

I've been trying to get a photo that shows a Cedar Waxwing with orange tail tips. I knew the orange tail was 'diet related' and at least two sources suggest honeysuckle as being the cause: "Some cedar waxwings have orange tail tips instead of yellow. This is not a normal color variation. Rather, the fruit of an introduced species of honeysuckle is known to cause cedar waxwings to grow orange-tipped tail feathers". And this comment: "In the 1960's, people started to cultivate a certain honeysuckle bush for their yards. This bush has reddish berries that young Cedar Waxwings feed on during their development. The pigment causes their tail tips to turn orange".
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