next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects
--0-2466676 ------=_Part_10311_14526714.1187620098722 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline I'm not a specialist by any stretch, but did Google it and found this http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/JFO/v068n01/p0098-p0101.pdf paper on "Spider Webs and Windows as Potentially Important Sources of Hummingbird Mortality" by DEVON L. G=95nqAM, Department of Biology, University of Miami, which see= ms legitimate. Below are excerpts from the abstract. Three instances of hermit hummingbirds (Phaethornis spp.) tangled in webs o= f the spider Nephila clavipes in Costa Rica are reported. The placement of webs of these spiders in sites favored by hermit hummingbirds suggests that entanglement may occur regularly. Many hummingbirds regularly use spider webs for nesting material, and forag= e for insects trapped in spider webs (Reinsen et al. 1986, Stiles 1995, Wagne= r 1946, Young 1971). Hummingbird Mortality [99 der webs including those of the large Golden Orb Spider, Nephila clavipes (hereafter Nephila) (Stiles 1995, Young 1971, pers= . obs.). For both hermits, lek and nesting sites are located in the understory, and foraging and flight paths are largely confined to trails, stream courses, and other open areas in the understory (Stiles 1992, 1995; pers. obs.). Nephila is conspicuous throughout its range due to its size (1-2 g), abundance, and placement of webs across trails, streams, along ridge tops and across natural gaps in the vegetation (Higgins 1987; Lubin 1978, 1983; Ryp- stra 1985). Webs are large (to 1 m in diameter), frequentl= y aggregated, and surrounded by a tangle of strong non-sticky threads. Fresh sticky strands are extremely viscous (Lubin 1978, 1983; Rypstra 1985, Young 1971). On 16 Jul. 1990, two Long-tailed Hermits were found on the ground tangled in a destroyed Nephila web, less than 50 m from an active lek. The attention of my party (C. Horvitz, J. LeCorff, M. Molina, and I) was drawn by the birds' distress calls. One bird freed itself as we approached, the other was thickly coated with sticky webs, gluing it to several dead twigs and leaves. When we removed the webbing, this bird could not fly, but recuperated after 2-3 min and two extended drinks of proffered Ga- torade(c= ); it would certainly have died without intervention. In November 1992, L. Vargas and I observed a single Long-tailed Her- mit tangled in a Nephila we= b 4-5 m off the ground. This bird freed itself after about 30 s (assuming it began giving distress calls the moment it became entangled), and the web wa= s not totally destroyed. The third record of which ! am aware was of a Little Hermit found tangled in a Nephila web in 1977 by L. McDade (A. Mack, pers. comm.). This bird was released and presumably survived. Considering the rarity with which pre- dation events are witnessed, or dead birds encountered in forest habitats, I suggest that these observations are significant. For hummingbirds that forage in locations favored by Nephila such as forest understory and edges, entanglement in spider webs could be a= n underrated or unacknowledged source of mortality. During periods of food scarcity, weakened birds might be especially likely to die. When hit- ting = a web, a bird's momentum may either carry it through the web, or, when webs are aggregated, cause it to become coated with both the sticky strands of the inner web and the strong supporting strands. Humming- birds are much larger than recorded Nephila prey items (Higgins 1987, Rypstra 1985), and i= t is unlikely that Nephila prey on birds. Entrapment of hummingbirds in spide= r webs has been reported repeatedly, but is usually treated as a rare, chance occurrence. Accounts of entrapment in Argiope and Nephila webs are related by Bent (1964), Baird et al. (1905), McCook (1889), Skutch (1973), Sick (1993), and Teixeira et al. (1991). In addition to death from exhaustion an= d shock, trapped humming- birds may be subject to predation. Raptors are ofte= n attracted to mist- netted birds (B. Loiselle, pers. comm.; pers. obs.), and trapped hermits are typically conspicuous, struggling vigorously and giving repeated dis- tress calls. Small trapped birds are also open to attack by other avian and mammalian predators. 73:36-45. Received 23 Jan. 1996; accepted 24 Apr. 1996. On 8/20/07, Gayle MacLean <duartess2003@yahoo.ca> wrote: > > Would any of our spider specialists like to comment on the news report of > a young hummingbird that was found deceased and encased in webbing of a > spiders web in New Brunswick (I believe)? What kind of spider this could > have been or the rarity of this type of occurrence happening here in Nort= h > America? Urban Legend? > > Thanks, > > Gayle MacLean > Dartmouth, NS > > *Rob Woods <rrtwoods@yahoo.com>* wrote: > > I am not sure that the hummingbirds can eat something as large or as > hardshelled as an ant. They certainly do not seem to eat the ants that we= re > climbing the feeders. > > While I agree the feeders are more for us than the birds, I also supply > them with lots of flowers to get natural nectar's as well. > > Rob Woods > Georgefield > > *Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>* wrote: > > Another well-known foraging method for hummingbirds is to hover close to > the > sap-dripping holes from yellow-bellied sapsuckers and to feed on the > insects > attracted to the sap (as well as on the sap itself?). Jim in Wolfville > ---------- > From: David&Jane Schlosberg > Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2007 12:16:25 -0300 > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: RE: [NatureNS] ants invading hummingbird feeders > > Hi, Jean. I was concerned about the ants because they consumed so much of > the syrup. A third of my container was gone in a couple of days, when no > hummers were about. Also, we've really been overrun with these small ants > this summer, and I don't feel that I want to feed them. You've given me a > new perspective on the situation, though. Drat! Everything's always more > complex than it appears! > Thanks. > Jane > > -----Original Message----- > From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca > [mailto: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca]On Behalf Of Jean Timpa > Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 7:21 PM > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: [NatureNS] ants invading hummingbird feeders > > > I don't maintain hummingbird feeders, so I am not quite sure why > there is such a fuss about the ants? Do they actually clog the openings t= o > the feeder? I can see that it would not be so much fun to try to handle > feeders with ants on them when replenishing the freshly made syrup. My > curiosity about this is that hummingbirds do require a certain amount of > protein in their diet, and I would think that the presence of the ants so > close > to their source of sugar syrup would be helpful to them and give them a > far > better chance at a balanced diet. Surely this is how hummies capture smal= l > > insects, as they invade natural flowers for nectar. Are these syrup > feeders > really for the hummingbirds or for us? Jean Timpa in Wolfville > > > ------------------------------ > Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places > <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=3D48256/*http://travel.yahoo.com/;_ylc=3DX3oD= MTFhN2hucjlpBF9TAzk3NDA3NTg5BHBvcwM1BHNlYwNncm91cHMEc2xrA2VtYWlsLW5jbQ-->on > Yahoo! Travel. > > > ------------------------------ > Ask a question on any topic and get answers from real people. *Go to > Yahoo! Answers.* <http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/> > > ------=_Part_10311_14526714.1187620098722 Content-Type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline <div>I'm not a specialist by any stretch, but did Google it and found t= his <a onclick=3D"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href= =3D"http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/JFO/v068n01/p0098-p0101.pdf" target=3D"_bl= ank">http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/JFO/v068n01/p0098-p0101.pdf </a> paper on "Spider Webs and Windows as Potentially Important = Sources of Hummingbird Mortality" by DEVON L. G=95nqAM, Department of = Biology, University of Miami, which seems legitimate. Below are excerpts fr= om the abstract. </div> <div> <p>Three instances of hermit hummingbirds (Phaethornis spp.) tangled in web= s of the spider Nephila clavipes in Costa Rica are reported. The placement = of webs of these spiders in sites favored by hermit hummingbirds suggests t= hat entanglement may occur regularly. </p> <p>Many hummingbirds regularly use spider webs for nesting material, and fo= rage for insects trapped in spider webs (Reinsen et al. 1986, Stiles 1995, = Wagner 1946, Young 1971). </p> <p>Hummingbird Mortality [99 der webs including those of the large Golden O= rb Spider, Nephila clavipes (hereafter Nephila) (Stiles 1995, Young 1971, p= ers. obs.). For both hermits, lek and nesting sites are located in the unde= rstory, and foraging and flight paths are largely confined to trails, strea= m courses, and other open areas in the understory (Stiles 1992, 1995; pers.= obs.). Nephila is conspicuous throughout its range due to its size (1-2 g)= , abundance, and placement of webs across trails, streams, along ridge tops= and across natural gaps in the vegetation (Higgins 1987; Lubin 1978, 1983;= Ryp- stra 1985). Webs are large (to 1 m in diameter), frequently aggregate= d, and surrounded by a tangle of strong non-sticky threads. Fresh sticky st= rands are extremely viscous (Lubin 1978, 1983; Rypstra 1985, Young 1971). O= n 16 Jul. 1990, two Long-tailed Hermits were found on the ground tangled in= a destroyed Nephila web, less than 50 m from an active lek. The attention = of my party (C. Horvitz, J. LeCorff, M. Molina, and I) was drawn by the bir= ds' distress calls. One bird freed itself as we approached, the other w= as thickly coated with sticky webs, gluing it to several dead twigs and lea= ves. When we removed the webbing, this bird could not fly, but recuperated = after 2-3 min and two extended drinks of proffered Ga- torade©; it wou= ld certainly have died without intervention. In November 1992, L. Vargas an= d I observed a single Long-tailed Her- mit tangled in a Nephila web 4-5 m o= ff the ground. This bird freed itself after about 30 s (assuming it began g= iving distress calls the moment it became entangled), and the web was not t= otally destroyed. The third record of which ! am aware was of a Little Herm= it found tangled in a Nephila web in 1977 by L. McDade (A. Mack, pers. comm= .). This bird was released and presumably survived. Considering the rarity = with which pre- dation events are witnessed, or dead birds encountered in f= orest habitats, I suggest that these observations are significant. For humm= ingbirds that forage in locations favored by Nephila such as forest underst= ory and edges, entanglement in spider webs could be an underrated or unackn= owledged source of mortality. During periods of food scarcity, weakened bir= ds might be especially likely to die. When hit- ting a web, a bird's mo= mentum may either carry it through the web, or, when webs are aggregated, c= ause it to become coated with both the sticky strands of the inner web and = the strong supporting strands. Humming- birds are much larger than recorded= Nephila prey items (Higgins 1987, Rypstra 1985), and it is unlikely that N= ephila prey on birds. Entrapment of hummingbirds in spider webs has been re= ported repeatedly, but is usually treated as a rare, chance occurrence. Acc= ounts of entrapment in Argiope and Nephila webs are related by Bent (1964),= Baird et al. (1905), McCook (1889), Skutch (1973), Sick (1993), and Teixei= ra et al. (1991). In addition to death from exhaustion and shock, trapped h= umming- birds may be subject to predation. Raptors are often attracted to m= ist- netted birds (B. Loiselle, pers. comm.; pers. obs.), and trapped hermi= ts are typically conspicuous, struggling vigorously and giving repeated dis= - tress calls. Small trapped birds are also open to attack by other avian a= nd mammalian predators.=20 <br>73:36-45. Received 23 Jan. 1996; accepted 24 Apr. 1996. </p> <p> </p></div> <div> </div> <div><br><br> </div> <div><span class=3D"gmail_quote">On 8/20/07, <b class=3D"gmail_sendername">= Gayle MacLean</b> <<a onclick=3D"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,= this)" href=3D"mailto:duartess2003@yahoo.ca" target=3D"_blank">duartess2003= @yahoo.ca </a>> wrote:</span>=20 <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0= px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"> <div>Would any of our spider specialists like to comment on the news report= of a young hummingbird that was found deceased and encased in webbing= of a spiders web in New Brunswick (I believe)? What kind of spider this co= uld have been or the rarity of this type of occurrence happening here in No= rth America? Urban Legend?=20 </div> <div> </div> <div>Thanks,</div> <div> </div> <div>Gayle MacLean</div> <div>Dartmouth, NS<br><br><b><i>Rob Woods <<a onclick=3D"return top.js.O= penExtLink(window,event,this)" href=3D"mailto:rrtwoods@yahoo.com" target=3D= "_blank">rrtwoods@yahoo.com</a>></i></b> wrote:</div> <blockquote style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #101= 0ff 2px solid"> <div>I am not sure that the hummingbirds can eat something as large or as h= ardshelled as an ant. They certainly do not seem to eat the ants that were = climbing the feeders.</div> <div> </div> <div>While I agree the feeders are more for us than the birds, I also suppl= y them with lots of flowers to get natural nectar's as well.</div> <div> </div> <div>Rob Woods</div> <div>Georgefield<br><br><b><i>Jim Wolford <<a onclick=3D"return top.js.O= penExtLink(window,event,this)" href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca" targe= t=3D"_blank">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>></i></b> wrote:</div> <blockquote style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #101= 0ff 2px solid">Another well-known foraging method for hummingbirds is to ho= ver close to the<br>sap-dripping holes from yellow-bellied sapsuckers and t= o feed on the insects=20 <br>attracted to the sap (as well as on the sap itself?). Jim in Wolfville<= br>----------<br>From: David&Jane Schlosberg <br>Reply-To: <a onclick= =3D"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href=3D"mailto:naturens@c= hebucto.ns.ca" target=3D"_blank"> naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a><br>Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2007 12:16:25 -0300<br>To:= <a onclick=3D"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href=3D"mailto= :naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" target=3D"_blank">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a><br>= Subject: RE: [NatureNS] ants invading hummingbird feeders=20 <br><br>Hi, Jean. I was concerned about the ants because they consumed so m= uch of<br>the syrup. A third of my container was gone in a couple of days, = when no<br>hummers were about. Also, we've really been overrun with the= se small ants=20 <br>this summer, and I don't feel that I want to feed them. You've = given me a<br>new perspective on the situation, though. Drat! Everything= 9;s always more<br>complex than it appears!<br>Thanks.<br>Jane<br><br>-----= Original Message-----=20 <br>From: <a onclick=3D"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href= =3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca" target=3D"_blank">naturens-owner@= chebucto.ns.ca</a><br>[mailto:<a onclick=3D"return top.js.OpenExtLink(windo= w,event,this)" href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca" target=3D"_bla= nk"> naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca</a>]On Behalf Of Jean Timpa<br>Sent: Friday,= August 17, 2007 7:21 PM<br>To: <a onclick=3D"return top.js.OpenExtLink(win= dow,event,this)" href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" target=3D"_blank">= naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20 </a><br>Subject: [NatureNS] ants invading hummingbird feeders<br><br><br>I = don't maintain hummingbird feeders, so I am not quite sure why<br>there= is such a fuss about the ants? Do they actually clog the openings to<br> the feeder? I can see that it would not be so much fun to try to handle<br>= feeders with ants on them when replenishing the freshly made syrup. My<br>c= uriosity about this is that hummingbirds do require a certain amount of=20 <br>protein in their diet, and I would think that the presence of the ants = so<br>close<br>to their source of sugar syrup would be helpful to them and = give them a far<br>better chance at a balanced diet. Surely this is how hum= mies capture small=20 <br>insects, as they invade natural flowers for nectar. Are these syrup fee= ders<br>really for the hummingbirds or for us? Jean Timpa in Wolfville<br><= /blockquote><span><br> <div> <hr size=3D"1"> Need a vacation? <a onclick=3D"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)= " href=3D"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=3D48256/*http://travel.yahoo.com/;_ylc= =3DX3oDMTFhN2hucjlpBF9TAzk3NDA3NTg5BHBvcwM1BHNlYwNncm91cHMEc2xrA2VtYWlsLW5j= bQ--" target=3D"_blank"> Get great deals to amazing places </a>on Yahoo! Travel. </div></span></bloc= kquote><span><br> <p> <hr size=3D"1"> Ask a question on any topic and get answers from real people. <a onclick=3D= "return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href=3D"http://ca.answers.ya= hoo.com/" target=3D"_blank"><b>Go to Yahoo! Answers.</b></a>=20 <p></p> <p></p></p></span></blockquote></div><br> ------=_Part_10311_14526714.1187620098722--
next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects