Birds · Passeriformes · Nectariniidae

Little Spiderhunter

Arachnothera longirostra

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The little spiderhunter is a species of passerine bird of the family Nectariniidae native to the rainforests of southern and south-eastern Asia. Females and males have very similar plumage. They are usually seen alone or in pairs, and their call is a tzeck. They are very often seen near flowering plants, from which they take the nectar they feed on.

Weight

11 g – 20 g

Size

15 cm – 17 cm

Lifespan

8 years

Diet

Nectarivore

Feeds mainly on flower nectar.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestNectarivore Diurnal Solitary Bird Rainforest

12countries 24parks4same family

Fun facts

It sews its nest to the underside of a large leaf: it pierces the edge and threads cobweb and fibre through the holes to hang the structure beneath, sheltered from the rain and hidden from above.
Its bill is disproportionately long and curved, adapted to the tubular flowers of the wild bananas and gingers of the understorey.
It picks spiders straight off their webs, and a substantial part of its diet is those arachnids, which is what has given it the name spiderhunter in several languages.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Understorey of rainforest, forest edges and plantations of South-East Asia
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 16 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachnothera_longirostra