{"id":116882,"date":"2023-10-10T05:21:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T11:21:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=116882"},"modified":"2023-10-10T05:25:15","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T11:25:15","slug":"molting-immature-cedar-waxwing-in-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/10\/10\/molting-immature-cedar-waxwing-in-fall\/","title":{"rendered":"Molting Immature Cedar Waxwing In Fall"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was tickled to photograph a molting immature Cedar Waxwing yesterday morning high in the Wasatch Mountains. The forest setting was quite messy.<\/p>\n

\"MoltingMolting immature Cedar Waxwing \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2000, ISO 800,\u00a0 Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a plumage phase I hadn’t photographed before in this species. The young waxwing is in the midst of molting. She or he is losing the brownish streaks on her or his breast and belly.<\/p>\n

\"FallFall immature Cedar Waxwing molting \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2000, ISO 800,\u00a0 Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The brownish streaks on the pale background are being replaced by brown feathers on their upper chest and yellowish feathers towards the lower belly.<\/p>\n

\"MoltingMolting young Cedar Waxwing in the Wasatch Mountains \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2000, ISO 800,\u00a0 Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The immature Cedar Waxwing’s mask is getting thicker plus the feathers under her or his bill are darker than they were when she or he fledged from the nest.<\/p>\n

She or he is going through a teenage plumage phase in this molt, which I found fascinating.<\/p>\n

Comparing Cedar Waxwings at different ages:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To compare to a younger Cedar Waxwing I present this photo that I have shared before:<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Cedar Waxwing after eating \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Note the streaky breast and belly along incomplete crest and mask.<\/p>\n

And to compare to an adult Cedar Waxwing<\/span><\/a> I am sharing this image from 2022:<\/p>\n

\"CedarCedar Waxwing on a Chokecherry perch \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Note the complete crest and mask and the lack of streaking on the breast and belly.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, despite the messy setting, I wanted to share these photos because I thought the appearance of this immature Cedar Waxwing in molt was interesting. I also thought there might be some people who may have never seen this stage in a young Cedar Waxwing’s life up close before.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Cedar Waxwing photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was tickled to photograph a molting immature Cedar Waxwing yesterday morning high in the Wasatch Mountains. The forest setting was quite messy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":116879,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,4597,4594,26,773],"tags":[970,4599,6577,3940,4598,4620,4067,2312,2313,4069,4104,1053,14437,5916,4193],"class_list":["post-116882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-cedar-waxwings","category-morgan-county","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-autumn","tag-bombycilla-cedrorum","tag-branches","tag-canyon","tag-cedar-waxwing","tag-fall","tag-immature","tag-molt","tag-molting","tag-mountains","tag-perched","tag-plumage","tag-wawings","tag-waxwing","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t