Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-2019
Abstract
Orb-weaver spiders weave large webs that are capable of entrapping various species of birds. We report a case of a male Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) caught in the web of a giant lichen orb-weaver (Araneus bicentenarius). Most cases of bird entrapment in spider webs involve spiders with larger webs (often Nephila sp.) and very small birds, usually hummingbirds. Our case is noteworthy because we report a relatively large bird caught in a relatively small web. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of A. bicentenarius extends beyond the tropics and subtropics, which is where most reported cases of bird entrapment occur. This observation suggests that even small orb-weaver webs may pose a threat to relatively large birds, and that this risk may extend well beyond the regions most commonly associated with entrapment.
DOI
10.1676/17-12
Publisher
Wilson Ornithological Society
Repository Citation
Queller, P. S., & Murphy, T. G. (2019). Painted bunting (Passerina ciris) caught in the web of a giant lichen orb-weaver spider (Araneus bicentenarius). Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 131(1), 191-194. https://doi.org/10.1676/17-12
Publication Information
Wilson Journal of Ornithology