Giant Spider Eating a Bird caught on Camera

Olympus 7-14mm f/4.0 Zuiko Digital Zoom

10/29/2008 09:10:49 AM · #29

Originally posted by Jac:

Must be an illusion then ;)

Quote from the original page that was linked to above:

Joel Shakespeare, head spider keeper at the Australian Reptile Park, said the spider was a Golden Orb Weaver.

"Normally they prey on large insectsâ�¦ it's unusual to see one eating a bird," he told ninemsn.

Mr Shakepeare said he had seen Golden Orb Weaver spiders as big as a human hand but the northern species in tropical areas were known to grow larger.

Queensland Museum identified the bird as a native finch called the Chestnut-breasted Mannikin.

We can check some more info about such things: Goliath Bird-Eating Spiders and Other Extreme Bugs (Fact Finders)

Mr Shakespeare told ninemsn the bird must have flown into the spider web and become stuck.

"It wouldn't eat the whole bird," he said.

"It uses its venom to break down the bird for eating and what it leaves is a food parcel," he said.

ETA: Whoops seems some of the copy and paste become lost in translation:

Greg Czechura from Queensland Museum said cases of the Golden Orb Weaver eating small birds were "well known but rare".

"It builds a very strong web," he said.

But he said the spider would not have attacked until the bird weakened.

Message edited by author 2008-10-29 09:13:34.

one2one

Olympus E-5

10/29/2008 11:17:24 AM · #30

Originally posted by Lonni:

The webs are really not that strong. That's why I think it might be a hoax.

That was from an Aussie too.

From your quote;

Mr Shakespeare told ninemsn the bird must have flown into the spider web and become stuck.

He never saw it land into the web, did he?

I still stand by what I said above, there's no way a live bird will stay stuck in a spider's web if indeed it flies into one. Just the impact from flight would damage the web.

Not an illusion, a hoax. ;]

Message edited by author 2008-10-29 11:18:33.

Mark-A

10/29/2008 12:54:25 PM · #31

I'm not 100% sure but I believe there are a couple of varieties of spider known to eat small birds - will try and research it later when I have some time.

But them Aussies you have to watch their info they like the Amber Nectar mate ;)

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro

10/29/2008 03:05:45 PM · #32

Originally posted by Mark-A:

I'm not 100% sure but I believe there are a couple of varieties of spider known to eat small birds - will try and research it later when I have some time.

But as far as I know those are all hunter spiders rather than web builders.
I'm no expert but I have trouble believing a healthy bird couldn't break free if it's an ordinary, radial-type web. Then again, it may have just bounced itself off a window or something, who knows? Also, birds tend to die of fright/shock more easily... *shrug*... I'd love to learn the details, but I guess the bird can't tell us, can it? :(

Ann

Olympus OM-D E-M1

10/29/2008 03:51:36 PM · #33

There's also the Goliath Bird Eating Spider. It's the size of a dinner plate. It doesn't really eat birds (much), but they have one at the San Diego Zoo. They feed rodents to it. It catches it's prey by stalking and pouncing, not by using a web.

edit: It's not particularly dangerous to humans, but I'd still hate to meet one in a dark alley.

Message edited by author 2008-10-29 15:52:28.

Mark-A

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II

10/29/2008 04:13:48 PM · #34

There's a couple of links with reports of birds being caught in webs and consumed by spiders, sorry but I hate these things lol and this research has sent shivers down my back LOL

This one right at the bottom about Golden Orb Weavers
//www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/australian_spiders.html

And Wiki has reports of it under the behaviour section
//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephila

Enough now I can't look at anymore spiders tonight :D

Message edited by author 2008-10-29 16:14:05.

Purple_Girl

Canon EOS-1100D

10/29/2008 04:23:05 PM · #35

I'm not gonna look at any of the links to scary spiders and stuff, I'd like to visit Australia one day and I don't want to be put off!

Pixlmaker

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II

05/06/2009 12:23:43 PM · #36

They're baaaaaaack:

Article

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II

05/06/2009 12:42:29 PM · #37

Cool! Gotta love how they say it's venomous, making it sound like a huge danger. Um, all spiders are venomous. Tarantulas are NOT agressive, sometimes biting if threatened, but the venom is not much worse to a human than a wasp sting.

They DO have urticating hairs, though, which cause more irritation than a bite.

Pixlmaker

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

05/06/2009 02:25:15 PM · #38

Originally posted by BeeCee:

They DO have urticating hairs, though, which cause more irritation than a bite.

I saw that on TV once (which is about as close as I would ever want to get to one of these monsters). The spider expert was showing how they will shoot a shower of hair at predators, which drives them away. After the spider did that, the guy needed an antihistamine treatment, as he could feel his sinuses swell up.

PhotoDave

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II

05/06/2009 02:59:04 PM · #39

Originally posted by Pixlmaker:

Originally posted by BeeCee:
They DO have urticating hairs, though, which cause more irritation than a bite.

I saw that on TV once (which is about as close as I would ever want to get to one of these monsters). The spider expert was showing how they will shoot a shower of hair at predators, which drives them away. After the spider did that, the guy needed an antihistamine treatment, as he could feel his sinuses swell up.

And people cant understand why I prefer to shoot them from a distance :P

05/06/2009 03:05:18 PM · #40

Dave, if you come visit we ARE going to the Bug Zoo. :P

PhotoDave

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II

05/06/2009 03:10:00 PM · #41

Originally posted by BeeCee:

Dave, if you come visit we ARE going to the Bug Zoo. :P

well thats one way to keep me away from the island :P

Beetle

05/06/2009 04:52:25 PM · #42

One of my earliest experiences after arriving in Australia happened while going for a stroll next to the beach, at night.

I walked face first into the strongest, toughest spider web I had ever hoped NOT to encounter.

I never saw the spider that owned that thing, but from the size and the strength of its web, I estimated it to be the size of a small cat.

I struggled for ages (in considerable panic) to get that sticky web off my face and hair, then made a bee-line home.

I don't mind spiders, snakes, and other creepy crawlies (except cockroaches), but that web was a bit much to take :-(

PhotoDave

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II

05/06/2009 05:08:34 PM · #43

Originally posted by Beetle:

I can handle pretty much anything except for spiders :S little bastards just creep me out.

scalvert

05/06/2009 06:05:40 PM · #44

Originally posted by BeeCee:

Tarantulas are NOT agressive, sometimes biting if threatened, but the venom is not much worse to a human than a wasp sting.

This isn't your standard-issue tarantula. "Despite their common name, they do not eat birds, but can kill a dog with one bite, and make a human very sick."