Cedar Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing has surged: up 87% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Cedar Waxwing
A sleek, masked songbird with waxy red wingtips, the Cedar Waxwing wanders in flocks after fruit and is one of the most frugivorous of North American birds.
- Size
- 6–7 in long, about 1.1 oz (15–18 cm, 32 g)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Sugary fruit and berries year-round, with insects in summer.
- Range
- Recorded on 2,285 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 46 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Bombycillidae · Forest birds
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Notable Cedar Waxwing TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
Cedar Waxwing has surged in surveyed states: up 87% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Cedar Waxwing Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Cedar Waxwing is projected to rise about 36% by 2029 — from 3.1 in 2024 to a central estimate of 4.2 (95% range 3.1–5.2). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±37.7%, with 0% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Cedar Waxwing Is Detected
BBS routes recording Cedar Waxwing, sized by most recent count.
Cedar Waxwing Population Trend by State
Cedar Waxwing Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Cedar Waxwing Conservation Status
Least Concern
The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it up about 87% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.