I found many people on social media, groups, and posts talking about birds but the question that attracted me to search about and come to give you this information is do birds eat spiders?
When I was in these groups many people said that spiders are helping us humans from the side of eating other harmful insects and others said spiders themselves are harmful.
So, In this article, I will discuss with you if it is true do birds eat spiders or not, and why birds eat spiders is there any benefit of doing that or it is a risk for them?
Do Birds Eat Spiders? – Quick Answer
The quick answer is yes, most birds eat spiders and consider one of their diets to include seeds, fruits, and vegetables.
But the detailed answer to the question is not as simple as you think because there are three types of birds and each type has a different diet:
There are carnivore birds or birds of prey that can eat rodents, birds, reptiles, and insects such as spiders.
Some herbivore birds eat fruits, seeds, nuts, buds, leaves, and sometimes nectar.
The third type is omnivores that have a mixed diet between plants, insects, and even animals
Do Birds Eat Venomous Spiders?
Yes, Many birds eat venomous spiders even though it’s Venomous and you may think there is a risk of eating them. but let me tell you my friend why it’s not harmful for birds to eat them.
Even though birds know what types of spiders they eat sometimes they eat venomous spiders and they aren’t harmful to them because the venom will harm the birds only in one case which is if It circulates in the bloodstream.
So, if the spider didn’t hurt or bite them, they would not be affected and would not cause any problems.
What Types of Spiders Do Birds Eat?
Birds can eat a variety of spiders depending on the bird species and the habitat because each area is known for a different type of spiders.
Some of the common spiders that birds eat:
- Orb-weaving spiders
- Jumping spiders
- Long-Bodied Cellar Spider
- Wolf spiders
- Daddy longlegs or harvestmen
- Giant House Spider
- Crab spiders
- Funnel weavers
- American House Spider
- Sheet weavers or money spiders
- Brown Recluse
- Sector Spider
What Birds Eat Spiders?
Many Bird species include spiders in their diet because it is one of their food sources due to their habitat. Some bird species eat spiders include:
- Pigeons: such as Rock Pigeon.
- Bluebirds: such as Eastern Bluebird.
- Sparrows: such as House Sparrow.
- Owls: such as Barn Owl.
- Jackdaws: such as Western Jackdaws.
- Wrens: such as Carolina Wren.
- Hawks: such as Red-tailed Hawks.
- Robins: such as American Robin.
- Ravens: such as the Common Raven.
- Finches: such as House Finch.
- Warblers: such as the common yellowthroat and black-and-white warbler
- Flycatchers: such as the eastern phoebe, eastern wood-pewee, and great crested flycatcher.
- Chickadees: Such as Black-capped Chickadee, and Black-capped Chickadee.
- Swallows: Such as Tree Swallow, and Barn Swallow.
Why Do Birds Eat Spiders?
I’m sure you are asking yourself why birds eat spiders and that’s why you are here to get the answer so keep your mind with me.
The first reason is that birds eat spiders may be to control the population because as you know my friend spiders are very annoying insects and many of us hate them.
The second reason is that spiders are one of some bird diets so, it’s a food source for them.
The third reason is the large number of spiders so, it’s easy for birds to find them and eat them, it is an easy food source that will provide them with some nutritional needs.
How do birds catch spiders?
Birds catch spiders in many different ways and sometimes they use their beaks or feet, let’s explore how birds catch them:
the first way is by hunting the bird from above using his beak at an unexpected moment. The spider does not understand what happened until the bird heals part of it.
the bird may also take the spider and toss him from high in an attempt to eliminate it by hitting him in the ground.
Some birds, like warblers or flycatchers, may use their slender bills to probe into small spaces, including spider webs, to extract spiders.
Birds that are skilled at catching flying insects, such as swallows or swifts, may catch spiders while in mid-air. They may pursue spiders in flight or pick them off surfaces.
and the most of birds target the head of the spider and take it off quickly while the spider is building his net.
Nutritional Benefits of Eating Birds To Spiders
Eating Birds to spiders has some benefits for their health, and the first nutritional benefit they get is protein. Spiders are a good source of protein that is very essential for the bird to grow and provide some extra energy especially, in the breeding season when the bird needs more energy to take care and raise their little ones.
Spiders contain a lot of fat which is a good thing to include in the bird diet, especially in the migration season when birds migrate and fly in difficult and harsh environment conditions because their bodies need more energy to consume in like these situations.
Spiders also contain a lot of vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc, and magnesium, and these elements are essential for general bird health.
The bird also may benefit from spiders in the hand of hydration because spiders may contain some water and it will help them, especially in places where the water is limited.
These were some of the things that birds benefit from spiders.
Risks of Eating Birds To Spiders
Even if there are a lot of benefits to eating bird spiders there are also some risks that birds face such as hunting large spiders that have strong jaws or fangs that will injure the bird while trying to hunt the spider.
the other risk is that spiders may have some elements that are difficult for birds to digest such as the external solid parts of the spider and consuming a lot of these elements may cause digestive path issues.
Some spiders can carry parasites that can transmit to birds and this will be harmful to them.
Just as we humans can be harmed by the bites of some spiders, birds can also be harmed by them because of their poison or strong bite.
There is another dangerous risk which is the bird getting trapped in a venomous spider web while trying to hunt it.
Do birds eat brown recluse spiders?
No, there are no birds that eat brown recluse spiders because they have a venomous bite, and their size makes it difficult for birds to eat.
Are birds afraid of spiders?
Most common birds consider spiders as a meal so, they’re not afraid of them but small birds such as sparrows should be careful.
Do hummingbirds eat spiders?
Yes, hummingbirds’ diet contains spiders also if needed or found in front of them.
Will birds keep spiders away?
Yes, Birds will help to limit the number of spiders around your house and keep them away.