Arachnothera crassirostris
The Thick-billed Spiderhunter (*Arachnothera crassirostris*) is a captivating passerine belonging to the sunbird family (Nectariniidae), distinguished by its robust, slightly decurved bill. Measuring around 16-17 cm (6.3-6.7 inches) in length, this species sports a vibrant yellowish-green plumage across its upperparts, transitioning to a paler yellowish on its underparts, providing excellent camouflage within its forest habitat. A subtle yet distinct pale eyering further aids identification, ...
Primarily inhabiting primary and mature secondary lowland tropical rainforests, this species can also be found in forest edges and occasionally plantations, typically at elevations up to 1,200 meters.
Feeds primarily on nectar from a variety of flowers, supplemented significantly by spiders and various small insects gleaned from vegetation.
The Thick-billed Spiderhunter is a diurnal and often solitary or paired species, occasionally joining mixed-species foraging flocks. Its unique, robust bill is expertly employed for probing deep into various flowers to extract nectar, sometimes "robbing" by piercing the corolla base of flowers th...
The Thick-billed Spiderhunter is endemic to the Sundaic region of Southeast Asia, primarily distributed across the Malay Peninsula (including parts of southern Thailand and Malaysia), and the large islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Its range also extends to several smaller, associated islands such a...
Least Concern
- The Thick-billed Spiderhunter possesses one of the most disproportionately thick bills within the *Arachnothera* genus, setting it apart from its more slender-billed relatives. - It's a master of "nectar robbing," piercing the bases of flowers to access nectar that's otherwise out of reach, a c...