This Morning Outside

by Diane Porter

January 8, 2019
Fairfield, Iowa

A yellow band across the end of the tail shouts Cedar Waxwing. You've noticed Cedar Waxwings eating berries in winter? The berries are full of carotenoids, which are pigments that the waxwings transmutate into the yellow band of the tail.

Because carotenoids are powerful antioxidants, some scientists think that bright colors demonstrate good genes, showing that a bird would make a good parent — which may cause other waxwings to want it as their mate. 

A few Cedar Waxwings, like this one, show orange instead of just yellow in the tail. Maybe that makes them the superheroes of carotenoids. Maybe they get to be the waxwing king or queen of the prom.

Diane Porter, Birdwatching Dot Com

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