Fun Streaked Spiderhunter Facts For Kids

A common inhabitant of Southeast Asia, the streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) is a bird species that belong to the class Aves, Nectariniidae family, genus Arachnothera, and species Magna. The scientific term, Arachnothera magna, for this bird species was provided by Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1837.

The streaked spiderhunter's location includes several countries. namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan, North-east India, Malaysia, Laos, Nepal, and Myanmar.

They are also spread across as far as China, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The habitat distribution of these sunbirds ranges across tropical and subtropical forests, moist lowlands, and montane forests, particularly the ones that house banana trees. These omnivorous birds prey on invertebrates as well as thrive on the nectar of flowers.

The breeding season of these birds falls between March to July after which, they weave intricate nests below the leaf surface for laying eggs. These birds are exceptional pollinators and have a stunning plumage that is capable of captivating all eyes.

Keep reading to discover more facts about the streaked spiderhunter! If you like, check out toco toucan facts and vesper sparrow facts to discover and learn interesting facts about them.

Streaked Spiderhunter Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a streaked spiderhunter?

Streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) is a species of bird belonging to the animal kingdom of order Passeriformes, family Nactariniidae, and genus Arachnothera. They resemble a sparrow in size and weight and are commonly found in India, Myanmar, Thailand, and so on.

What class of animal does a streaked spiderhunter belong to?

The streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) belongs to the class of Aves, just like the Cooper's hawk. The body of these birds is covered with olive-yellow feathers with a narrow, sharp, and curved black bill suitable for probing deep into flower stems for nectar. In 1837, Brian Houghton Hodgson provided this bird species with its scientific term, Arachnothera magna.

How many streaked spiderhunters are there in the world?

Although the streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) population remains unquantified, a stable population trend has been noticed within its geographical range with no major potential threats.

Where does a streaked spiderhunter live?

Like most of the birds belonging to the order Passeriformes, family Nectariniidae, commonly known as the sunbird family, the Streaked Spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) also has a pretty vast population distribution across South-East Asia in countries namely Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Bhutan, Malaysia, North-East India, Vietnam, Thailand, and Nepal.

These birds are non-migratory, and hence, they are not found anywhere else in the world.

What is a streaked spiderhunter's habitat?

A streaked spiderhunter habitat incorporates tropical and subtropical hill forests, particularly moist lowland and montane forests. These birds prefer to dwell among mixed deciduous and evergreen forests especially those that house wild banana trees and plants with broad leaves that they use to build their nests.

Who do streaked spiderhunters live with?

This bird species can be found foraging alone or in pairs. Streaked spiderhunters (Arachnothera magna) can also be often found flying with mixed flocks.

How long does a streaked spiderhunter live?

The exact lifespan of the streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) is not known. A related species, the little spiderhunter, lives up to five years. So, similar longevity can be assumed for the streaked spiderhunters.

How do they reproduce?

Little information or data is available about the reproduction of streaked spiderhunters. However, the breeding season of these birds usually falls between the months of March and July. Post-copulation, a nest is built on the lower side of a leaf by the Streaked Spiderhunter female counterparts.

Multiple broad leaves are used to make nests that are intricately woven by cobwebs. The clutch size is between two to three eggs. The streaked spiderhunter eggs appear brown or olive-brown in color.

What is their conservation status?

Considering a plentiful population within the geographical boundaries of streaked spiderhunters (Arachnothera magna) in the lands of Southeast Asia, it is absolutely not endangered. The International Union for Conservation of Nature or the IUCN Red List has qualified the bird species to the Least Concern status.

Currently, they have been showing a stable population trend with no signs of population fragmentation.

Streaked Spiderhunter Fun Facts

What do streaked spiderhunters look like?

The streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera manga) can be easily identified by its plumage. Its upperparts are colored in yellow-green with a paler yellow shaded underpart. Its entire body is streaked in black with a narrow, sharp bill colored in black. It has round, black eyes with yellow legs. The streaked spiderhunter males and females look identical.

How cute are they?

The streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) looks extremely cute. This appealing look is rendered by their small get-up, the vibrant color combination, and the narrow, sleek, black bill.

How do they communicate?

The streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) is an exceptionally loud and noisy bird that uses various sounds and chirps to communicate and socialize with the individuals of its kind as well as the birds of other flocks. High-pitched frequent calls and a distinct 'chitick, chitick' sound are common vocalizations that are used by these birds while interacting among themselves.

How big is a streaked spiderhunter?

Streaked spiderhunters (Arachnothera magna) can grow up to an average length of 6.7-8.1 in (17-20.5 cm). The streaked spiderhunter's wingspan is yet to be uncovered. Streaked spiderhunters are longer in size than rock sparrows, which have a length between 5.5-5.9 in (14-15 cm).

How fast can a streaked spiderhunter fly?

Alongside a couple of aspects related to the streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) of the sunbird family, there is a lack of data regarding the flight speed of this bird as well. However, their flight pattern has been observed to be swift, strong, and undulating.

How much does a streaked spiderhunter weigh?

The weight of a streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) is between0.8-1.2 oz (23.9-34.5 g), with the females being lighter than the males. However, both sexes are heavier than the Gouldian finch, which weighs 0.5 oz (14 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

No sex-specific names are assigned to the male and female counterparts of streaked spiderhunters (Arachnothera magna).

What would you call a baby streaked spiderhunter?

Like most bird species, a streaked spiderhunter baby is known as a chick.

What do they eat?

Being omnivorous by nature, a streaked spiderhunter's diet includes both the nectar of flowers and small invertebrates or arthropods. The long, sharp, curved bill is suitable for probing deep into flowers for nectar. The wild banana blossom is one such flower that is highly preferred by them.

Are they dangerous?

The streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) is known to live in the wilderness. They are an understudied bird species and require a good amount of research regarding several aspects.

Hence, commenting on whether it is dangerous or not may not be appropriate. However, this bird species has been observed to be very playful and extremely engaging, unless provoked by strangers when they generally fly off or make loud noises to alert the others belonging to the flock.

Would they make a good pet?

No records are available of the streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) being kept as a pet or in captivity. They are known to dwell in the wild forests of Southeast Asia. Moreover, this species of bird requires a specific diet for optimum growth and is an important pollinator as well. Hence, petting them may not be a good idea.

Did you know...

The streaked spiderhunter is an expert at extracting spiders out of their webs. The narrow, sharp, curved bill helps them to perform this tricky task easily.

How did the streaked spiderhunters get their name?

The streaked spiderhunter's name is self-explanatory. It has bold, black streaks all over its body from where the term 'streaked' has been incorporated. The term 'spiderhunter', on the other hand, has been assigned to the birds that belong to the genus Arachnothera. The scientific term, Arachnothera magna, for this bird species was provided by Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1837.

Do streaked spiderhunters migrate?

Like most of the bird species of the sunbird family, the streaked spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) is not a migrant. They are native to Southeast Asia and their distribution lies across several countries namely Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Bhutan, Malaysia, North-East India, Vietnam, Thailand, and Nepal. They are not found anywhere else in the world.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our flycatcher facts and Hawaiian honeycreeper facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable bird coloring pages.

Second image by Rushenb.