Cedar Wax Wings are found in groups feeding on berries throughout the park in the winter. They get their name from the red tips of some of their wing feathers, which appear to have been dipped in sealing wax. (A document that was so sealed was a legitimate document and the seal became the equivalent of a legal signature today.) But the number of red tips varies from zero ten on individual birds. The ends of the tail feathers are yellow, the color coming from the plant material the birds ate. If they happen to have eaten certain red berries while their tail feathers were forming, the tips might be red or orange. Also characteristic are the smooth, silky plumage, the noticeable topknot, and a black mask outlined in white. The food of the wax wing consists primarily of fleshy fruit but they will take insects. They have an efficient digestive system which can separate the fruit from the seed with the seed defecated in about 16 minutes! Gregarious birds, they sometimes pass a berry from bird to bird until one decides to eat it. They are usually seen in flocks of 10 to 50 birds.