Invertible Vertebrates make a big part of the birds’ diet. All kinds of birds do depend on the small insects, worms, seeds, and grains as food for a living. Most of the garden and woodland birds are blessed with needle-shaped bills that help them in picking their insect food with precision. Woodpeckers, Robins, and Song thrushes are a few breeds that prefer worms on the soil as the bigger part of their food.
People feed both mealworms and worms to birds, as they form a very nutritious part of their diet. Either they feed dried up dead worms or live worms, depending upon the availability and feasibility. Mealworms are the favorites of Bluebirds. The Sensory Detection Receptors of birds work exceptionally sharp that helps them in finding their food.
Many people often wonder how do birds find worms and insects as their food, even when they are flying high in the sky.
How do birds find worms?
Birds find their mealworm foods with their senses of Touch, Hearing, and Vision. The senses of smell and taste do not work well for birds as in humans. They do not help them in finding their food. The Visionary sense is the highest used to find and detect their food in the soil.
Birds holding worms in their beaks are a very common sight, that one can easily remember on hearing birds associated with food. Eyes being the sharpest weapon of every bird helps them in finding their prey for the meal.
Related Read: How do birds hear? | Do birds have ears?
A bird can watch and observe sharply no matter it is sitting perched on a tree, or flying high in the sky. Even the slightest movement in the land catches their attention irrespective of the size of the prey. If they realize it is food, they sweep in and peck it in an attempt. Their Metabolism is designed such that they spend most of the time eating food.
Birds find worms in the soil because of their visual and auditory receptors. When you see a bird cocking its head keen on listening or observing something next time, it might actually be sensing the movement of worms nearby.
Worms prevalently peek out or stroll on the soil, when the ground underneath them is too wet, making breathing difficult for them. And that’s when most of the opportunistic birds peck and have a juicy meal.
Do people feed worms to birds?
Yes, People in urban cities feed birds with farm-grown dead and live worms, according to their availability and preferences.
Bird lovers in the urban cities love feasting birds with nutrient-rich meals, sometimes even their leftovers. They buy worms and mealworms from their local stores and fill in their mealworm feeder for birds, making mealtime easier for the birds.
Some people do wish to feed birds but do not do so owing to the high prices of bird food. They can always check for the cheapest mealworms for birds available in the stores.
One can feed fresh live worms straight from the soil, or prefer to feed the birds with sun-dried mealworms that they can store in bulk quantities. Either way, the nutrient supply will be relatively good for the birds. Few Birds prefer the juicy live ones, while a few prefer the dried worms. One can choose to fill their bird-feeders based on their regular audience. There are many ways to feed the birds with their tummy loving worm food.
Which birds eat mealworms?
Birds like Nuthatches, Kinglets, Thrushes, Woodpeckers, Bluebirds, Wrens, Blackbirds, Chickadees, and Robins love feeding on mealworms. Insect-eating birds and Bug-eating birds prefer these protein-filled treats more than the other birds.
There are many other birds on the list too, but they are not as prominent about feeding on mealworms as these.
Many Paaserine birds (also called the perching birds) enjoy feeding on mealworms both for themselves and their young ones. The protein from these mealworms significantly aids the growth of insectivorous birds.
Many people mistake mealworms as a type of worm, whereas they are actually the larval form of an insect named Darkling Beetle. While worms, in general, do not have legs, mealworms have approximately 6 jointed legs resembling adult beetles’ looks.
Birds can be expected to eat around 100 mealworms per day, as these are protein-rich snacks for them. Yet, it is not advised to feed them more than 200 per day, as their diet should be balanced with all kinds of nutritional values. A mixture of seeds, fruits, and worms can satisfy their tummy more than a tray full of dried/live worms.
Most of the birds aren’t picky about the food they eat. Only a very few birds are versatile about their choice of food.
It is always best to see and observe who your audience are and feed them according to their preferences. It should be the only way for you to enter the hearts of those flying creatures!