Information about the Worm bird

Dicaeidae, the scientific name of the passerine bird, is a family in the order Passeriformes of the phylum Chordates. This family includes two genera, Prionochilus and Dicaeum, with a total of 44-48 species.

They are distributed in tropical regions of southern Asia and Australasia, from India east to the Philippines and south to Australia.

– Other names: Green Worm, Wren

– Small size, only the size of a baby’s fist, total body length from 10 – 18cm.

– Weight: 5-12g.

Common types of woodpeckers

– Blue worm

– Red-breasted woodpecker

– Golden Worm

Physical characteristics of the Worm bird

1. Shape and size

The overall shape of the Worm looks quite round and plump. Despite its small size, the Worm is very agile, its sturdy legs and sharp eyes help it move easily and flexibly when swinging from one tree branch to another.

2. Body

Head

Round head, short neck, slightly thick, pointed and slightly curved beak, tubular tongue. Eyes are black or dark brown, large, round, sparkling with depth, eye color varies with plumage color.

Body

The body of the Caterpillar is slender and round, completely covered with feathers. The wings are long, stiff feathers that grow crisscrossing the back and hug the body when perched on a branch.

Fur

The feathers of the Worm are characteristically green, with long feathers on the wings and tail that turn blue-black. The feathers on the head, body, and abdomen are long, multi-layered, downy feathers that do not curl together and look very smooth. The feathers on the abdomen are blue-gray or yellow-green, and the feathers on the neck are gray-white.

Juveniles have more down and are paler in color than adults. As they mature, the soft down is replaced by shorter, smoother feathers.

Feet

Short legs, pinkish brown or dark gray in color, including 1 toe in the back and 3 toes in the front, help them grip tree branches very firmly, even small leaves, without falling.

Tail

The tail of the woodpecker is short. The tail is also the way to distinguish between male and female woodpeckers.

Characteristics of the song of the Worm bird

Possessing a long, pointed, tube-shaped tongue, the song of the woodpecker is very clear and high-pitched. The bird often sings a lot in the summer and spring. In particular, the male bird will sing more than the female bird to attract a mate, singing the most often during the mating season.

Distinguishing between male and female caterpillars

The appearance of both male and female Caterpillars as adults is similar, but the feather color varies.

– Color: The male bird’s feathers will be more brightly colored than the female’s, the female’s feathers will be lighter in color.

– Chest feathers: Male woodpeckers will have dark black feathers; conversely, female woodpeckers will have lighter feathers.

– Tail feathers: The tail feathers of male Caterpillars will grow long (also known as reed tail) while birds do not have this characteristic.

Distinguishing between Wormbirds and White-eyes

If at first glance in the wild when you encounter these two birds, it is difficult to tell which is the Wormbird and which is the White-ringed Bird. Here is how to distinguish:

1. Size

The bulbul has a small shape like the woodpecker but is slightly larger in size. The bulbul’s legs are smaller and taller and its wings are longer than the woodpecker’s.

2. Eyes

The eyes of the Woodpecker are round and dark brown or black, while the eyes of the Bulbul have white eye rings.

3. Shape

The Khuyên bird has an upright, tall posture, while the Sáu bird is shorter and stands level.

4. Color

The feathers of the Khuyên bird are darker and brighter green than the Sơn bird, green feathers cover the head, neck, back and tail. The wings are also a lighter blue-black color.

The Bulbul on the left and the Cuckoo on the right

Habitat of the Worm

The characteristic of the plumage of the woodpecker is that it is green, which helps them easily blend in with the color of green leaves, making it easy for them to camouflage and hunt very well, while avoiding enemies such as snakes or cats.

Tropical forests or places with many trees are the preferred environment of the Woodpecker. They live and sleep on tree trunks, and during the breeding season they make nests on trees that are not too tall.

Reproductive habits of the Worm bird

During the breeding season, male and female Woodpeckers will pair up to reproduce and take turns building nests, incubating eggs and caring for their chicks. Their nests are round, made from dry leaves, hanging on small trees or bushes.

Each breeding season, the Caterpillar lays 1 to 4 eggs, the incubation period is about 10-12 days, with the chicks fully fledged after 15 days.

Bird Food Worm

1. For birds in the wild

Wild Woodpeckers use their quick instincts and keen eyes to hunt. Their sharp beaks and tight grip when attacking their prey give them no chance to escape. Wild Woodpeckers’ favorite foods are mainly mealworms, leaf rollers, young grasshoppers and ant eggs. They also eat ripe, sweet fruits.

2. Birds raised in cages

For caged birds, if you cannot find food sources like in the wild, you can feed them bird bran, seeds such as millet, ground cereals, crushed peanuts, etc.

How to raise Worm birds

When raising woodpeckers, you need to pay attention to some of the following characteristics:

1. Raising Birds and Young Birds

If you raise a young Worm bird, you need to take more careful and meticulous care because young birds have poor resistance and an underdeveloped digestive system. And that same care and meticulousness will help the young Worm bird become more tame and attached to people when it grows up compared to raising an adult bird.

The food suitable for them at this stage is mainly young grasshoppers and rice worms. Gradually let them practice eating bran and don’t forget to give them water. Young birds eat many times a day, so you should pay attention so they don’t get hungry.

You need to feed them, gently and provide them with enough nutrition every day. After the bird has enough feathers, it will be able to eat and drink by itself. At this time, you just need to prepare clean food and water for it.

2. Bird farming and trapping

Raising these birds is equally difficult in the first few days. They will initially be frightened and anxious when kept in a cage. You will need to cover the cage with a dark cloth and provide them with plenty of food and water.

Pay attention to the amount of food in the cage. If the food is less, it will eat. Its survival rate is almost 100%. Then you keep the cage cover like that for 2 days and then slowly open it a little at a time.