Saturday, October 17, 2015

Look! It's a...

They see you, but do you see them?

...Cedar Waxwing! But who are Cedar Waxwings, and what do they want? Moreover, what are they doing on campus? To get to the bottom of this, I posed these questions and more to Fr. Terrance Ehrman, C.S.C., botanist and biologist, campus' resident Marlin Perkins or Jim Fowler if you will. On the matter of intriguing fowl, Fr. Ehrman said, "Cedar Waxwings are gregarious birds whose predominate food is sugary fruits. They are noble in appearance with upright posture, crest feathers, black mask, and smooth silky plumage.  The red-colored wingtips and yellow band on tail feathers derives from dietary pigments (carotenoids) sequestered there."  

There you have it folks, Notre Dame's Cedar Waxwing!