Back to photostream

It's five o'clock somewhere

Young Cedar Waxwing is drinking at 2:55 pm!!!! Brush Prairie, Washington. This is a young bird because it lacks the waxy wing tips.

 

"The bright red waxy tips of the secondary feathers of the Cedar Waxwing are unique to this group of birds. The function of these waxy tips is not known. The number and length of these red tips are useful to determine age and sex. Tips may be lacking in young birds, and are most developed in adult males (Pyle 2001). The tips are synthesized from carotenoid pigments in the diet (Alderfer 2006). www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/cedarwaxwing.ht

776 views
15 faves
10 comments
Uploaded on September 30, 2015
Taken on September 29, 2015