Have you ever seen a bird catch and eat a spider? Chances are, if you havent, then youre with the majority of people.
Many species of birds regularly consume spiders as part of their diets. Insectivorous birds tend to consume spiders on more of a regular basis. These include wrens, sparrows, blackbirds, robins, blue tits and bluebirds.
Omnivorous birds such as crows and jackdaws also will eat spiders when the opportunity arises. Spiders contain relatively large amounts of taurine, which can be extremely beneficial to birds, and adult birds will often feed them to their babies.
Continue reading to find out what type of spiders these birds eat, how they catch them and more information.
3. Birds That Eat Spiders: Ravens
Ravens do not actively seek out spiders to eat, but they do enjoy doing so occasionally. Additionally, they are omnivores, meaning they typically eat nearly anything that comes their way. Given their potential for large size, ravens also won’t back down from larger spiders.
Insects are not a top concern for hawks as they typically target snakes, rodents, or even other birds. They can be classified as another example of a spider-eating bird because they do occasionally snack on spiders. But if you want to get rid of insects naturally, they’re not a good choice to attract to your yard because of the threat they can pose to other birds.
Despite having one of the worst reputations among birds, pigeons can actually be quite helpful in your yard when it comes to eliminating insects. Pigeons are another type of bird that consumes spiders, just like hawks do. They are solitary and able to adapt to a wide range of environments, so they won’t bother the other birds in the yard too much. Although you might be tempted to give pigeons you come across some bread crumbs, you should not do so because bread is unhealthy for birds.
9. Birds That Eat Spiders: Bluebirds
The vibrant bluebirds of North America are well-known for consuming spiders because they also eat berries, wild fruit, and insects. Usually found in higher latitudes, they may migrate south when food becomes scarce or when the weather becomes too cold for them.
You can try native gardening in your yard by planting bushes like red raspberry, flowering dogwood, holly, elderberry, bayberry, and other flowering shrubs and bushes if you want to help draw them in a little bit more or want them to stay longer. You could arrange nesting boxes for them. But be advised that bluebirds and other bird species, like house sparrows, might not get along.
Gathering sunflower or thistle seeds and arranging them for the house finch will easily draw it in, as it is the most prevalent backyard finch in the US. When they do show up, they will probably assist you in eliminating spiders, even though their primary food sources are seeds, berries, and other plants.
Do hummingbirds eat spiders?
Though it’s far less well known, hummingbirds occasionally consume spiders. Although hummingbirds adore and depend on nectar, about 80% of their diet consists of insects and spiders, including baby spiders.
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