Spiderhunter
Encyclopedia
The spiderhunters are birds of the genus
Arachnothera, part of the sunbird
family
Nectariniidae. The genus contains eleven species found in the forests of south and southeastern Asia. They are large representatives of the sunbird family, with drab plumage and long strongly curved bills. They feed on both nectar and a range of small arthropods.
east to The Philippines and from the Himalayas
south to Java
; they reach their greatest species diversity in the Thai-Malay peninsula, Sumatra
and Borneo
. The spiderhunters are mostly forest birds, occupying a wide range of forest types including true rainforest, dipterocarp forest, swamp forest, bamboo forest, secondary forest, forest edge and other highly degraded forest. In addition several species occur in human-created habitat such as gardens or plantations. Most species are lowland species, but the Whitehead's Spiderhunter
is more of a montane species.
is the heaviest of the sunbirds, weighing as much as 49 g. The bills
of the spiderhunters are long, at least twice the length of the head, and are decurved and stout. The tongue forms a complete tube for most of its length. The plumage
is much drabber than the other brightly coloured sunbirds, is the same for both sexes, and contains no iridescence
. The uppersides of most species are olive-green and the undersides dull white or yellow - in half the species the undersides are streaked. The most atypical spiderhunter plumage is that of the Whitehead's Spiderhunter
, which is dark brown with white streaking on the undersides and back and a yellow rump.
The calls of the spiderhunters are very simple, typically a metallic chip which is repeated multiple times to form the song. The song of the Little Spiderhunter
is described as an "incessant squeaky whistle".
, a tricky task. They also consume a wide range of other small arthropod prey including crickets, caterpillars, butterflies, ants and other insects. In addition to animal prey they also consume nectar from flowers. Their tubular tongue is pushed against the top of the upper mandible of the bill, then pulled in and out, creating a pressure difference which allows the nectar to be sucked into the mouth. Spiderhunters may be important pollinator
s of some species of plants, and species pollinated by spiderhunters have long tubular flowers. They may also participate in nectar-robbing, which consists of inserting the bill into the side of the flower to extract nectar without being dabbed with pollen. Little is known about their territorial behaviour, but there have been reports of some species defending territories. The spiderhunters are less gregarious than other sunbirds, and are usually seen alone or as part of a pair.
like most of the rest of the family. They vary from the other sunbirds in the nature of their nest
, which is suspended underneath a large leaf, usually a banana leaf but sometimes a palm frond or even a branch. The style of nest can be quite variable, a simple cup in the case of the Streaked Spiderhunter
, an elongated tube for the Yellow-eared Spiderhunter
and a bottle shape for the Long-billed Spiderhunter
. The nests are suspended from the leaf by using spider web or by pushing plant fibres through the leaf. The nests are made of grasses and leaves and lined with soft materials. Nest construction, as is typical of the family, is carried out by the female alone. Unlike the other sunbirds, however, both the male and female incubate
the eggs. The spiderhunters lay two or three eggs. Their nests are sometimes parasitised
by cuckoo
s.
There are 11 species:
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Arachnothera, part of the sunbird
Sunbird
The sunbirds and spiderhunters are a family, Nectariniidae, of very small passerine birds. There are 132 species in 15 genera. The family is distributed throughout Africa, southern Asia and just reaches northern Australia. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but also take insects and spiders,...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Nectariniidae. The genus contains eleven species found in the forests of south and southeastern Asia. They are large representatives of the sunbird family, with drab plumage and long strongly curved bills. They feed on both nectar and a range of small arthropods.
Distribution and habitat
Unlike the rest of the family, which is more widespread, the spiderhunters are confined to the Oriental zoogeographic region, occurring from IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
east to The Philippines and from the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
south to Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
; they reach their greatest species diversity in the Thai-Malay peninsula, Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
and Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. The spiderhunters are mostly forest birds, occupying a wide range of forest types including true rainforest, dipterocarp forest, swamp forest, bamboo forest, secondary forest, forest edge and other highly degraded forest. In addition several species occur in human-created habitat such as gardens or plantations. Most species are lowland species, but the Whitehead's Spiderhunter
Whitehead's Spiderhunter
The Whitehead's Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia....
is more of a montane species.
Description
The spiderhunters are amongst the largest of their family, measuring between 13 to 22 cm in length. The Spectacled SpiderhunterSpectacled Spiderhunter
The Spectacled Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam....
is the heaviest of the sunbirds, weighing as much as 49 g. The bills
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
of the spiderhunters are long, at least twice the length of the head, and are decurved and stout. The tongue forms a complete tube for most of its length. The plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
is much drabber than the other brightly coloured sunbirds, is the same for both sexes, and contains no iridescence
Iridescence
Iridescence is generally known as the property of certain surfaces which appear to change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes...
. The uppersides of most species are olive-green and the undersides dull white or yellow - in half the species the undersides are streaked. The most atypical spiderhunter plumage is that of the Whitehead's Spiderhunter
Whitehead's Spiderhunter
The Whitehead's Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia....
, which is dark brown with white streaking on the undersides and back and a yellow rump.
The calls of the spiderhunters are very simple, typically a metallic chip which is repeated multiple times to form the song. The song of the Little Spiderhunter
Little Spiderhunter
The Little Spiderhunter is a species of long-billed nectar feeding bird in the Nectariniidae family found in the moist forests of South and Southeast Asia. Unlike typical sunbirds, males and females are very similar in plumage...
is described as an "incessant squeaky whistle".
Diet and feeding
The spiderhunters are omnivorous. As their name suggests they will eat spiders, and are capable of extracting spiders from the centre of their websSpider web
A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web or cobweb is a device built by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets....
, a tricky task. They also consume a wide range of other small arthropod prey including crickets, caterpillars, butterflies, ants and other insects. In addition to animal prey they also consume nectar from flowers. Their tubular tongue is pushed against the top of the upper mandible of the bill, then pulled in and out, creating a pressure difference which allows the nectar to be sucked into the mouth. Spiderhunters may be important pollinator
Pollinator
A pollinator is the biotic agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain...
s of some species of plants, and species pollinated by spiderhunters have long tubular flowers. They may also participate in nectar-robbing, which consists of inserting the bill into the side of the flower to extract nectar without being dabbed with pollen. Little is known about their territorial behaviour, but there have been reports of some species defending territories. The spiderhunters are less gregarious than other sunbirds, and are usually seen alone or as part of a pair.
Breeding
The spiderhunters are thought to be monogamousMonogamy
Monogamy /Gr. μονός+γάμος - one+marriage/ a form of marriage in which an individual has only one spouse at any one time. In current usage monogamy often refers to having one sexual partner irrespective of marriage or reproduction...
like most of the rest of the family. They vary from the other sunbirds in the nature of their nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
, which is suspended underneath a large leaf, usually a banana leaf but sometimes a palm frond or even a branch. The style of nest can be quite variable, a simple cup in the case of the Streaked Spiderhunter
Streaked Spiderhunter
The Streaked Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist...
, an elongated tube for the Yellow-eared Spiderhunter
Yellow-eared Spiderhunter
The Yellow-eared Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam....
and a bottle shape for the Long-billed Spiderhunter
Long-billed Spiderhunter
The Long-billed Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand....
. The nests are suspended from the leaf by using spider web or by pushing plant fibres through the leaf. The nests are made of grasses and leaves and lined with soft materials. Nest construction, as is typical of the family, is carried out by the female alone. Unlike the other sunbirds, however, both the male and female incubate
Avian incubation
Incubation refers to the process by which certain oviparous animals hatch their eggs, and to the development of the embryo within the egg. The most vital factor of incubation is the constant temperature required for its development over a specific period. Especially in domestic fowl, the act of...
the eggs. The spiderhunters lay two or three eggs. Their nests are sometimes parasitised
Brood parasite
Brood parasites are organisms that use the strategy of brood parasitism, a kind of kleptoparasitism found among birds, fish or insects, involving the manipulation and use of host individuals either of the same or different species to raise the young of the brood-parasite...
by cuckoo
Cuckoo
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
s.
Species
- Thick-billed SpiderhunterThick-billed SpiderhunterThe Thick-billed Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand....
Arachnothera crassirostris - Spectacled SpiderhunterSpectacled SpiderhunterThe Spectacled Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam....
Arachnothera flavigaster - Long-billed SpiderhunterLong-billed SpiderhunterThe Long-billed Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand....
Arachnothera robusta - Little SpiderhunterLittle SpiderhunterThe Little Spiderhunter is a species of long-billed nectar feeding bird in the Nectariniidae family found in the moist forests of South and Southeast Asia. Unlike typical sunbirds, males and females are very similar in plumage...
Arachnothera longirostra - Yellow-eared SpiderhunterYellow-eared SpiderhunterThe Yellow-eared Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam....
Arachnothera chrysogenys - Naked-faced SpiderhunterNaked-faced SpiderhunterThe Naked-faced Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is endemic to the Philippines.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
Arachnothera clarae - Grey-breasted SpiderhunterGrey-breasted SpiderhunterThe Grey-breasted Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam....
Arachnothera modesta - sometimes included in A. affinis - Streaky-breasted Spiderhunter Arachnothera affinis
- Bornean SpiderhunterBornean SpiderhunterThe Bornean Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family. The scientific name commemorates British colonial administrator and zoological collector Alfred Hart Everett.-Distribution and habitat:...
, Arachnothera everetti - Streaked SpiderhunterStreaked SpiderhunterThe Streaked Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist...
Arachnothera magna - Whitehead's SpiderhunterWhitehead's SpiderhunterThe Whitehead's Spiderhunter is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia....
Arachnothera juliae
External links
- Spiderhunter videos on the Internet Bird Collection