Thanks to all who replied.  

George, your BirdsByBent (Arthur Cleveland Bent) link is a wonderful read and resource!  It describes exactly what I saw in greater detail, including the short quick hops - a behavior documented at least back to the early 1800’s.  I will certainly be watching Cedar waxwings more keenly, armed with this knowledge of their behavior.  Maybe someday I will be lucky enough to see them pass a fruit along a row of birds!

Elaine Faletra
Warren, NH



> On Aug 8, 2020, at 11:27 AM, [log in to unmask] wrote:
> 
> The passing of food or other items between Cedar Waxwings apparently occurs regularly. Here are a couple of online references.
> 
> 1) From the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology account at     https://birdsoftheworld-org.proxy.birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/cedwax/cur/behavior
> 
> "Courtship-Hopping often includes passing a small item (usually food item such as a fruit, insect, or flower petal, but sometimes inedible items, and occasionally object-passing may be merely simulated, with no object actually passed; ... between male and female, interspersed with short hops away from and back toward the mate."
> 
> 2) From    https://birdsbybent.com/ch31-40/cwaxwing.html
> 
> "The passing of a berry back and forth between two birds, or along a line of birds, a procedure we may watch sometimes even in winter, may have developed from courtship feeding ... ."
> 
> 
> 
> The account in the Birds of the World reference indicates that the reported passing of items back and forth among more than two waxwings has not been well documented.
> 
> George Clark
> Norwich, VT
> 
> 
> On Fri, 7 Aug 2020 19:47:01 -0400, Elaine Faletra wrote:
> 
> Hi All,
> 
> Curious if this is typical behavior: This morning while on Long Pond there were quite a few Cedar waxwings along the shores. One landed on a dead spruce branch and another followed to sit by its side. Waxwing “A” gives waxwing “B" a winged insect, then “B” gives it back to “A" then “A" gives it back to “B”…this went on for a few cycles until one of them swallows it and they both fly off together. Seemed almost playful?
> 
> Thanks,
> Elaine Faletra
> Warren NH
>  


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