FINCHforum

On Monday I bought a new batch of mini mealworms and put some into a separate dish onto the food tray. They disappeared throughout the day as expected. Tuesday and Wednesday were the same. Then this morning I noticed a lot of mealworm hulls (for lack of a better word) right next to that dish. This afternoon I put some fresh worms in, then sat down in a lawn chair and watched through my binoculars what would happen next. Both spice finches showed up and picked up worm after worm and moving it back and forth (or rather from left to right and back) through their beaks thus squeezing out the soft insides. Then they flung the empty hulls over the side of the dish.
Has anybody observed this type of behavior? Is this typical for spice finches? All my other birds (fire finches, gouldians, owls and gold breasts) eat the whole worm.
Iso

I've seem lots of finches eat out the middle of mealies and toss the shell. Sometimes, they do that is the mealies are large. I bought the mini mealies for my finches and not as many ate out the middle. It's is quite an interesting thing to watch. Not a problem for them so don't worry.

Maybe that's why mine don't like the "freeze dried" meal worms...the "good" part is dried out and they're only left with the shell...that they don't like???

My parrotfinches eat them the same way. It's like they are squeezing the toothpaste out of the tube.

Thanks for the feedback ladies. I guess I can count myself lucky that they are the only ones doing this. I just thought it was an odd behavior (and I hate cleaning up the stuck on remains before the ants get to them).
Iso

Count yourself fortunate that they ate the live mealworms! LOL

I got some for my guys and they just peered at them with tilted heads as they crawled about.
They were quite fascinated by them. But I don't think they regarded them as food, but rather, as little pets that they could watch and poke as they crawled around.

Molly Sue: "Hey look! The human gave us pet worms!"

Squeepers: "Aw! How exciting! I've always wanted pets! Whaddya suppose we feed 'em?"

Ivy: (Mealworm hanging out of her mouth)

MiaCarter - Mia, I know what you mean when you say, "you are lucky they eat them". A number years ago, when I offered live minis for the first time, all my birds came down to the food tray to check out what their human had brought. Well, I should say they wanted to come down. One after the other they would be coming in for the landing, feet stretched out in front of them, then notice these alien things in a new dish and turn around in midair flapping their wings wildly. Any helicopter pilot would have been proud if he'd been able to pull off that maneuver!
Iso