Arachnothera robusta
The Long-billed Spiderhunter (Arachnothera robusta) is a striking member of the sunbird family, known for its specialized adaptations to a nectarivorous and insectivorous diet. Measuring approximately 16-18 cm in length, it boasts a remarkably long, slender, and strongly decurved black bill, which is its most distinctive field mark and gives the species its common name. Its plumage is generally olive-green above, with a brighter yellow-olive throat and breast, sharply contrasting with heavily...
This species primarily inhabits tropical and subtropical broadleaf evergreen forests, including primary, secondary, and logged areas, often near water or forest edges, from lowlands up to around 1,800 meters elevation.
Their diet primarily consists of nectar, extracted from a wide variety of flowers, supplemented significantly by spiders and small insects, which they glean from foliage and spiderwebs.
Long-billed Spiderhunters are diurnal and highly active birds, typically foraging throughout the day and roosting solitarily or in pairs within dense foliage at night. Their foraging strategy is characterized by acrobatic movements, hovering or clinging upside down to flowers and leaves to extrac...
The Long-billed Spiderhunter is a resident species found throughout much of Southeast Asia. Its primary distribution encompasses the Malay Peninsula, including peninsular Malaysia and southernmost Thailand, Sumatra, Borneo, and various smaller adjacent islands. It occurs widely in these regions, ...
Least Concern
- The Long-billed Spiderhunter's bill can be up to half its body length, making it exceptionally suited for reaching nectar deep within tubular flowers. - Unlike many sunbirds, spiderhunters like this one have evolved to also feed extensively on spiders, often plucking them directly from their we...