Variety Overview
English Name: Oriental Magpie-robin
Other Names: Pig Dung Scum, Chirp Scum, Messenger Bird
Origin: Bangladesh
Price: around $9~12 USD
Size: About 21 cm (approximately 8 inches)
Lifespan: About 5 years
Morphological Features and Identification
The Si Xi Bird (Four Happiness Bird) is a small species measuring around 21 centimeters in length. Male birds have predominantly black upper bodies with distinctive white spots on their wings. Their lower bodies are strikingly marked with black in front and white behind. Female birds have gray-brown upper bodies with similar wing spots and their lower bodies follow a similar pattern but in more muted tones. Their most notable feature is their exceptionally long tails.
Male birds display a glossy blue-black coloration on their foreheads, crowns, sides of heads, napes (back of necks), backsides of necks (sides), backs, shoulders extending to their upper tail coverts (feathers covering base of tails). Their central tail feathers are black while other tail feathers are white except for slight black bases. The fourth pair of outermost tail feathers have only inner or both inner-outer edges in black colorations. Wings appear dark brown; lesser/median/secondary coverts along with inner secondary flight feathers’ outer vanes exhibit whites creating broad wing patches visible during flights.
Lower body regions including chins/throats/upper chests/cheeks/sides-of-necks mirror heads’ bright blue-blacks whereas lower chests/bellies/undertail-coverts turn whites sometimes tinged grays at flanks/undertails.
Females closely resemble males but feature grayer/darker hues over their top halves; foreheads/lores/sides-of-heads/cheeks/throats/chests show darker grays/browns transitioning into whiter albeit slightly browner bottom halves.
Juveniles sport greyish/darker browns atop while throats/chests blend yellowish/dark browns edged darker resembling adults overall: irises stay browns/beaks blacks/tarsi-toes darker/grayer browns.
Maintenance Tips
The Four-Happiness Bird tends to defecate frequently and has a distinctive odor. It also loves taking water baths, which can easily soil the bottom of its cage. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the cage bottom and feces tray (or cage mat) every one or two days. For water baths, it’s best to use a separate bathing cage. Clean the water bottle daily and refill it with fresh water. Replace the powder feed in the food bowl each time you clean the cage bottom. During its molting period (which lasts from 8 to 10 months), reduce the number of water baths. In southern areas, cover the cage with gauze during summer; in northern areas, keep the bird indoors during winter, ensuring the temperature stays above 15°C.
Feeding Techniques
Four-happiness Birds have a poor ability to digest plant-based feeds, so it’s not advisable to feed them granulated foods like eggs and rice. Instead, powdered feeds should be used. Typically, synthetic feeds such as Four-happiness Bozai Feed are recommended. This type of feed is well-suited for the digestive systems of both Four-happiness Birds and Bozai Birds. Powdered feed serves as their staple diet, supplemented with insects like locusts, mole crickets, leaf rollers, mealworms, or minced beef and lamb strips. Additionally, dried grasshoppers can be offered as a supplementary food. Fresh small river shrimp can also replace insects to increase protein intake and provide additional vitamins.