I photographed this Cedar Waxwing eating a mulberry in a Mulberry tree at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. This refuge has several Mulberry trees and during this time of year you can see all types of birds eating the Mulberries.

Cedar Waxwing Eating Mulberry
A Cedar Waxwing eating a Mulberry at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.

How I Got The Shot – Cedar Waxwing Eating Mulberry

I have one spot I like to go to at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge when the Mulberries ripen. This spot is located west of the 4 corners intersection in the middle of the S curve. It is on the west side of the tour road. Two Mulberry trees are located here and since they are on the west side of the road, mornings are the best time to photograph the birds feeding on the berries.

I had my Canon EOS 7D Mark II camera resting on a bean bag draped over the open window of my pickup. I was using a Canon EF 100 – 400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens. I was shooting in aperture priority mode (AV) with a shutter speed of 1/3200 of a second at f5.6 and the ISO at 800. White Balance was set on auto. I was using single point, continuous auto focus with evaluative metering.

Cedar Waxwing Facts

  • The Cedar Waxwing is one of the few birds specializing in eating fruit in North America. It can survive for several months on the fruit alone.
  • Many birds that eat a lot of fruit separate out the seeds and regurgitate them, but the Cedar Waxwing lets them pass right through.
  • Because they consume so many fruit, sometimes Cedar Waxwings get intoxicated or even die when they run across overripe berries that began fermenting and producing alcohol.

All about birds: cedar waxwing. Ithaca (NY): Cornell Lab of Ornithology; [accessed 2019 July 4]. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cedar_Waxwing.