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4ish minutes in my backyard, I'm very new to this. Where would I look in the trees for the waxwing?
AdviceGood to know, maybe it's a misidentification.
Given Merlin ID'd a Northern Mockingbird, there's a not unreasonable chance that multiple birds on that list are misidentified. They're not called mockingbirds for nothing! đ
That said, I always hear Cedar Waxwings before I see them. Best thing you can do is follow the sound and look up in the trees. Their sounds are sort of "breathy" trills and chirps.
I know another commenter said look for the other 20, but in my experience, this has never been the case. I've only seen Waxwings in smaller groups as small as just two. They are known to congregate in larger groups, but it's not a guarantee.
I have never seen a vireo in my yard, but I definitely have a mockingbird. Merlin always says vireo so I have my suspicions. Watched him do a perfect house sparrow this morning
FWIW Red-eyed vireos are notoriously difficult to spot.
This is my mnemonic for their call.
"Look up!, You can't see me!, I'm over here!, You just missed me!, Look again!"
Y'all are making spotting this vireo my new mission.
I love bird people
If you have any rail trails near you where you're higher than the ground on either side of the trail, it helps to spot them a lot. That way, you're at eye level with birds like that which like to stay at the top of the canopy.
I actually live in the Blackstone Valley, RI so getting a view of the tree tops is very doable. Thank you!
Well shit.
That's genius.
Subscribe.
This is such a fantastic tip. birding for a decade and raised by birders and Id never though of this.
Seriously. Little greenish birds that live in tops of trees and donât like to sit still. Itâs taken me about 20 years to get âgoodâ at spotting them.
Finally spotted my first red eyed vireo recently after hearing it on the app for weeks. I was a little excited at the time. lol
It's ridiculous how excited I get over seeing a bird I've been "stalking". Or getting to a twitch in time to see it. It's pure thrill!
Sometimes called "The Preacher" bird because it just goes on and on and on.
Red-eyed vireos have been a challenge for me. I've found they are always high up in the trees so I only get the barest glimpses of them moving around.
This is the case for warbling and red eyed vireos for me too. I donât add species to my life list without a visual. I hear their calls all the time. Hard to see because they always seem to be in trees.
Warbling vireos are always lower, in my experience at least. I just saw a couple yesterday near the top of trees in this case, but much smaller trees. I've also seen them hiding on low branches in smaller trees.
Good to know!
I have big ole elms so definitely a possibility. Thanks for the tip!
Iâve seen one staring down song sparrows from across the street just waiting for them to pause so he can jump in with his mashup âsong sparrows car alarmâ
I've gotten pretty good at catching Oriole calls/songs and I've been right each time. The Mockingbird has picked them up too, but I was able to audibly spot the fake because it was Oriole for 3 or 4 sounds, then became a Wren. I really love the Mockingbirds and I think they're fascinating.
Breathy is an interesting way to describe the Waxwing. I feel like it's so high pitched and I've been able to spot them with my ears before my eyes before but I'm not great with them. They are more likely to be around trees/shrubs with berries, right?
EDIT: I read the comments and answered my question lol yes they like berries.
I had never even heard of a virio before I started using Merlin and I'm surprised I guess at how much I'm seeing it identified. What are those birds? Are they really common and universal? I'm located in South Central PA btw.
Theyâre really common birds, but theyâre hard to spot so most people never know theyâre around.
If youâre seeing it all the time on Merlin itâs likely there. Sometimes youâll pick one up for a week or two before you see it.
Once you can recognize their song, you'll realize they're all around in the woods.... And that they never shut up. (I'm in PA also)
If you click the "explore" icon at the bottom of your app and look up "Cedar Waxwing" (or any of your birds), there are a few pre-recorded sounds you can play to hear different calls.
Also try Cornell's allaboutbirds.org for more calls. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cedar_Waxwing/sounds
Adding that the advice to look up into the tops of trees is key! They hangout up there and usually just look like a bunch of leaves until you see them fly off together, it takes time to be able to spot them reliably. Merlin has recording of all these bird calls, familiarizing yourself with the high whistle of waxwings can help you hone in on location
Merlin IDâd the beep beep sound when I hit the key fob to lock my car as a Virginia Rail! đ
Yeah, I've had it say a building's exhaust fan was a Great Horned Owl. It's not perfect!
Does waxwings congregating depend on time of year and whether theyâre in breeding range or migratory range? This is a genuine question. I donât think Iâve ever seen them in groups of less than ten where Iâve lived, but theyâre here for the winter and gone by summer. Seen em moving in groups in the hundreds when thereâs good berries for eating.
Agreed about hearing cedar waxwings before hearing them. Super high pitched calls. Love those birds though, theyâre fun to watch.
Quite likely. They're mostly summer birds where I live (Toronto area), but they're officially "year round". Likely in the winter they're grouping near the food sources (berries) which are not near me.
I live in California and only see Cedar waxwings when they come down for the Winter, which does make them easier to spot, as they are often perched on barren tree branches. I usually see them in small groups, maybe a dozen in a tree, but often as few as 5 or 6. One time, however, I counted over 30 eating berries in a large tree, and as I was watching, I saw them fly off and join a flock of another 30 or so flying by, which was then joined by another group. I was amazed. I'd never seen so many at one time.
Omg I need to consider that for the mockingbirds haha
Yeah. That phrase "0 to 100" is really about waxwing counting.
There's only ever 0, and then suddenly 100 or more. Nothing in between
Waxwings are also very attracted to berries, so if you have any trees with berries right now, they are probably there.
Right? Look for the bush or tree with berries/fruits.
I love those two looking directly at the camera, very menacing.
I've found some on their own before! The last one I saw was by itself in a tree
I had 60+ in my backyard a couple of months ago. They are so social!
They love berries. Look for any trees with berries.
I usually find them pretty high up in trees. They love fruit, so look for any tree that might have fruit in it.
Also, I recommend making sure your Merlin settings have "repeated matches at top" turned on. Every time it IDs a bird sound, that bird is moved to the top of your list. False IDs or birds that may have called once as they passed by will filter to the bottom of the list as the nearby birds continue to call and keep getting moved back up to the top.
The real pro tip is in the comments! Thanks!
Yeah, that mockingbird will be sitting at the top of that list of the setting was in effectâ
I use Merlin daily and did not know this! Thank you!
I just did this! This will help a lot!
They have a very high pitched dog whistle sound. They dont really sound like birds. They fly in flocks and are usually surrounded by family and friends. They like eating fruit. You can find them in a variety of habitats but you will never see them on the ground. If you see a bunch of birds flying together in a tight flock it could be them. Finches also do this but their flocks are looser and more bouncy. Waxwings are medium sized songbirds.
From my experience, the waxwings are almost always high up in the tops of the trees, especially this time of year.
Bet you have a mockingbird in your yard. Were the calls constantly alternating and in quick succession? Or was it just a cacophony of sound?
Listen to their call in the app. And keep an ear out for that. They often are in large groups and quite vocal.
This! This works well. Also, in the playback of your recording, tap the bird name and it will move the playback to when Merlin identified the bird. Tap it more than once to see each time Merlin heard it. If it is just a second or two of sound and it appears only once... it's most likely misidentification.
Oh my gosh! Two Merlin tips in one thread!!!
Merlin picked up my neighborâs screeching 4-year old daughter as a Great Horned Owl. I think she would be pleased with the title.
Look for the Mockingbird.
I often like to ID cedar waxing by looking for the bright yellow at the very tip of their tail first (use binoculars). I usually see them in big flocks after a storm when there are lots of fruit/berries available.
I would agree itâs probably mostly mockingbird, but look for cedar waxwings near any fruit. Are there ivy berries? Cotoneaster? Cherries?
We were having the same problem this morning, couldnât spot them. So frustrating that all the exciting birds show up just as the foliage fills in completely to hide them.
They are small, usually move in flocks, and love to eat little berries! Their color is really helping them blend in with the spring leaves at the moment. They're the ones making very high pitched, trilling sounds, so try to follow that sound, usually to somewhere high in the treetops.
I do have really high trees in my backyard. Ill have to keep trying, they look so pretty I'd love to spot one.
Thank you.
Every time I see them they are up in the tippy tops. I had never seen them before using the app and Iâm sure thatâs why.
I have had them around my house for months now. They always come back to the same few trees and are at the very, very top. Only on rare occasions have I got decent looks at them without a pair of binoculars.
I want to emphasize that whenever I see cedar waxwings they're always high in trees
First, you have to find the Mockingbird. It's loud, and it does three or four different calls back to back, then starts all over again. Once you know its general location, listen to it and watch Merlin. See what calls link up with what you're hearing and subtract those from the birds Merlin is identifying.
If you hear the Waxwing separate from the general area of the Mockingbird, then you can start your search.
My two experiences with Cedar Waxwings: last year I only picked up their song, found one amazing feather (there is a tiny red wax bead on the feather) and then last Feb/March my entire tree was FULL of them, maybe a flock of 50 or more, way up in the highest branches. Theyâre gorgeous-I have a video. Then they were gone in a day. Iâm in Eureka, CA so it may be different where you are. Good luck!
I find them in trees with berries: dogwood, serviceberry, hawthorn, cedar, and junipers to name a few.
Palms if you have them, too. Dates seem to be one of their favorites.
A number of people are saying to look for the flock of them, but most of the time Iâve seen cedar waxwings itâs just been a couple. Out of 10 times Iâve seen them, only twice has been a large flock.
I see them flock more in the winter
I counted 23 in one tree last week!
I have had Merlin identify starlings as cedar waxwings before
Well, you have mockingbirds which may be up to half of those Merlin IDs, and starlings, which may be the other halfâŚ. Both imitate other birds, some are poor imitations, some fool Merlin every time. Waxwings will be in the tops of your trees, most of the time. They will come down for fruit or water, but will eat fruit at the top of the tree first. They look generic brown from a distance, so easy to miss, and hard to see in dense trees. They often donât stick around long though, so you can wait for them to leave to get a glimpse and you might see them come back and land again, which they often do, then you can get a better look.
Waxwings love crabapple trees...
Get to know the waxwing's sounds. They are often in the canopy or flying over in groups of 5 to 10 to 20. The flyovers don't help much with ID unless you know their whistles and you've recognized a flack before. Because their whistle pitch is high, it's also directional and help you locate them. This is a clip of Cedar Waxwings feeding on mulberries. I heard them first and was grateful they were not 40 feet up.https://photos.app.goo.gl/PZgFMn7HPqXfWXSa8
What app is this ?
Merlin
What app is this? I live in a songbird sanctuary.. would love to know who Iâm hearing and where to find them!
It's called Merlin, is really very cool!
Neat! Waxwings are fairly small birds that are a bit shy so best viewed with a set of binoculars if you have them. The slicked back hair is a good marker from afar.
I wouldnât call them small. About the size of a Cardinal.
I do have some binoculars!
At the canopy! Also, I notice waxwings generally fly high above in large flocks
I am certain you live in my area.
You might! Wanna be friends?
Juneberry tree for cedar waxwings. Iâve seen a lone cedar waxwings before (unless that means it was a Bohemian waxwing? I was fairly young when I saw it)
I have a European starling that mimics cedar wax wings . đ
Well, that's more of their regular whistle repertoire .
This is pretty much identical to the list of birds I get in my parking lot here in Kentucky. I have yet to spot the Cedar Waxwing when it pops up even without the mockingbird around. Iâd love to see one though.
I generally see the at the ends of branches high in the canopy and/or near berries. Often in a flock, though not always. Very high whistling call.
I definitely have had starling whistles and even alarm calls from robins show up as cedar waxwings on Merlin. Usually they are conspicuously perched in groups high up in trees. If the trees around you aren't too tall, they don't take much effort to spot. Probably a misidentification if you are having trouble finding any.
mockingbird spotted. I would disregard
For any small bird or one that camouflages well I've found it works well to listen and use where you hear the sound of their call coming from to start looking. It can help you narrow down a lot of area.
Mine misidentifies these :( mockingbirds are too good
Youâll hear them and theyâre always in a flock. High pitched sort of whistle.
Great list! Where are you located?
SW ohio
Almost all of those birds are the one mockingbird.
Not true, as I spotted them all except for the waxwing and the vireo.
Sorry! I take it back. I've been burned more than once by a mockingbird.
I think it was the mockingbird for the waxwing though. I don't have berry trees around here.
Humor me- do you live in Ohio
Do you have a birdbath? Waxwings will visit birdbaths. That might make it easier.
I would kill to see a waxwing in my city!
Cedar Waxwings are usually in groups of a few, to a few dozens of Waxwings, so they're usually easier to spot when they're in the area. Along with the possible Mockingbird ID that other folks have pointed out, European Starlings also mimic other bird calls. On multiple occasions I've heard them rattle off dozens of other bird calls within a few minutes! With practice, you can usually tell the difference from the original bird song and the Starling's mimic by the lazer sounding chirps and twills in between each mimicked song :)
This morning, my Merlin app captured songs of all these birds, except for the House Finch and the European Starling.
It did capture a Baltimore and three Orchard Orioles, three Blue Grosbeaks and an Indigo Bunting. Somehow, it also captured a Solitary Sandpiper, but I wouldn't think you would find them in a woodsy area with a freshwater lake.
Iâve only ever seen them very high in the trees. The thing is, it could also be a misidentification by Merlin or a mimic (like the European Starling and Northern Mockingbird). Catbirds and thrashers also mimic.Â
Oh, just look right above the purple piles of droppings full of mulberries on your car.
Considering it pinged a mockingbird AND a starling.. you might only be looking for two birds lol
Way in the top of the tree. They can blend in very easily and be hard to notice, but once you see one, there will likely be dozens more. Definitely a bird (for me) that is more hear than see unless you take the time
I typically see them pretty high up. They are huge berry eaters so if thereâs anything putting out fruit like that look there
Hereâs my only real evidence of the massive flock of Cedar Waxwings that perched in my backyard tree. The blurry video of them wouldnât hold up in court đ
Merlin idâs Ceder Waxwings in my yard often. Iâve never spotted one here. They are flock birds so Iâm sure that Merlin is wrong but it happens so often makes me wonder.
Interesting! I'm working with a dense little bramble with really tall trees so I think it could be easy for me to miss them. I haven't spotted the Vireo either.
Keep listening! Their whistles are distinct enough when they are feeding and when in group flight
Every single one of these birds is actually 4 starlings.
I spotted all of them but two.
I feel youâve taken this maliciouslyâIâm commenting on how easily mislead by certain birds the application is. Itâs frequently mentioned in humor in this sub.
sorry đ
All good. Tone can be difficult!
You would look for the 20 other Waxwings near it