Adirondack Life – September 2019

September + October 2019 ADIRONDACK LIFE 13

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ast October cedar waxwings

went viral—and we’re not talking

avian flu. News stations across

the country were atwitter over the

strange behavior of seemingly inebriat-

ed birds in Minnesota, where they were

swerving into windshields and singing

showtunes at the top of their lungs (OK,

one of those is untrue). Ornithologists

explained that the fruit-loving flyers

had overindulged in berries that had

fermented due to an early frost.

No such bird bacchanalia was report-

ed in the Adirondacks, where cedar

waxwings are year-round inhabitants.

A favorite of birdwatchers for their

handsome plumage, they congregate in

open woodlands looking for insects and

their beloved berries. Their name comes

from the waxy red tips on their wings;

the yellow markings on their tails may

take on an orange tinge, depending on

their diet.

ONE MORE FUN FACT: a group of

waxwings is called an earful.

Flying While

Intoxicated