Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyBombycillidae (Waxwings)
- GenusBombycilla (Waxwings)
- SpeciesBombycilla cedrorum (Cedar Waxwing)
The cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) is a member of the family Bombycillidae or waxwing family of passerine birds. It is a medium-sized bird that is mainly brown, gray, and yellow. Some of the wing feathers have red tips, which resemble sealing wax, giving the bird its common name. It is a native of North and Central America, breeding in open wooded areas in southern Canada and wintering in the southern half of the United States, Central America, and the far northwest of South America. Its diet includes cedar cones, fruit, holly berries, and insects. The cedar waxwing is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Cedar Waxwing sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 1,292 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Tufted Titmouse
Baeolophus bicolor
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Cedar Waxwing in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
About 18% of wildlife watchers report a Cedar Waxwing sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 1,292 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Cedar Waxwing in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Cedar Waxwing in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our monthly data.