Cedar Waxwing eggs
Pale bluish gray, spotted with black or gray, about 0.79–0.94 inches long — roughly the width of a US quarter. A Cedar Waxwing lays 2–6 eggs, and they hatch after 11–13 days.
- Color
- Pale bluish gray, spotted with black or gray
- Length
- 0.79–0.94 in (20–24 mm)
- Width
- 0.59–0.67 in (15–17 mm)
- Eggs per clutch
- 2–6 eggs
- Incubation
- 11–13 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
- Nest
- Loose cup in tree forks, often late June
How to recognise a Cedar Waxwing egg
- Color: pale bluish gray, spotted with black or gray. Markings vary between females and are often heaviest around the wide end; the same female tends to lay a similar pattern every time.
- Size: 20–24 mm long by 15–17 mm wide. For scale, a US quarter is 24.3 mm across, so this egg is roughly the width of a US quarter.
- Where you find it: loose cup in tree forks, often late june. Cedar waxwings do not normally use nest boxes.
- Clutch: 2–6 eggs. A nest with far more eggs than this may hold eggs from two females, or a cowbird egg laid by a brood parasite.
Eggs that look similar
These species lay eggs in the same color group, sorted by how close they are in length. Size and nest site usually settle it.
| Species | Egg | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Waxwing | pale bluish gray, spotted with black or gray | 20–24 mm |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | white to grayish, speckled with brown or gray | 21–22 mm |
| House Sparrow | whitish to greenish or bluish white, spotted with gray and brown | 20–22 mm |
| Baltimore Oriole | pale grayish or bluish white, with brown and black streaks and blotches | 22–25 mm |
| House Finch | pale bluish white, finely speckled with black and lavender | 16–25 mm |
When cedar waxwings lay eggs, state by state
Laying starts earliest in Colorado (Jun) and latest in Alaska (Jul). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alaska | Jul–Aug |
| Alberta | Jul–Aug |
| British Columbia | Jul–Aug |
| Colorado | Jun–Aug |
| Connecticut | Jun–Aug |
| Delaware | Jun–Aug |
| Idaho | Jun–Aug |
| Illinois | Jun–Aug |
| Indiana | Jun–Aug |
| Iowa | Jun–Aug |
| Kentucky | Jun–Aug |
| Maine | Jul–Aug |
| Manitoba | Jul–Aug |
| Maryland | Jun–Aug |
| Massachusetts | Jun–Aug |
| Michigan | Jun–Aug |
| Minnesota | Jul–Aug |
| Missouri | Jun–Aug |
| Montana | Jul–Aug |
| Nebraska | Jun–Aug |
| Nevada | Jun–Aug |
| New Brunswick | Jul–Aug |
| New Hampshire | Jul–Aug |
| New Jersey | Jun–Aug |
| New York | Jun–Aug |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Jul–Aug |
| North Carolina | Jun–Aug |
| North Dakota | Jul–Aug |
| Northwest Territories | Jul–Aug |
| Nova Scotia | Jul–Aug |
| Ohio | Jun–Aug |
| Ontario | Jul–Aug |
| Oregon | Jun–Aug |
| Pennsylvania | Jun–Aug |
| Prince Edward Island | Jul–Aug |
| Quebec | Jul–Aug |
| Rhode Island | Jun–Aug |
| Saskatchewan | Jul–Aug |
| South Dakota | Jun–Aug |
| Tennessee | Jun–Aug |
| Utah | Jun–Aug |
| Vermont | Jul–Aug |
| Virginia | Jun–Aug |
| Washington | Jun–Aug |
| West Virginia | Jun–Aug |
| Wisconsin | Jul–Aug |
| Wyoming | Jul–Aug |
| Yukon | Jul–Aug |
From egg to fledgling
Eggs hatch after 11–13 days and the young leave 14–18 days later. See the full baby Cedar Waxwing guide for nestling stages and what to do if you find one on the ground.
Found eggs in your yard?
- Leave them. Parents often step away for long stretches, especially before the full clutch is laid, because most songbirds do not start incubating until the last or second-to-last egg.
- A single egg on the ground is usually lost for good. Eggs cannot be hatched at home, and possession of native bird eggs is illegal without a permit.
- If a nest is somewhere inconvenient, wait it out. Most small songbirds are done in three to five weeks.
- Watch from a distance and keep pets indoors. Repeated visits can lead predators to the nest.
Questions
Frequently asked
What color are Cedar Waxwing eggs?
Pale bluish gray, spotted with black or gray.
How big is a Cedar Waxwing egg?
About 0.79–0.94 in long and 0.59–0.67 in wide (20–24 × 15–17 mm) — roughly the width of a US quarter.
How many eggs does a Cedar Waxwing lay?
2–6 eggs per clutch, usually one egg a day, with 1–2 per season.
How long until Cedar Waxwing eggs hatch?
Incubation takes 11–13 days. The young then stay in the nest 14–18 days — about 25–31 days from incubation to leaving.
Can I move or touch a Cedar Waxwing nest with eggs?
No. Native birds, their nests and eggs are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Wait until the young have left before removing an old nest.
Sources
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds: Cedar Waxwing life history
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.