Arachnothera
Sign in to saveThe spiderhunters are birds of the genus Arachnothera, part of the sunbird family Nectariniidae. The genus contains thirteen species found in the forests of south and southeastern Asia. They are large representatives of the sunbird family, with drab plumage and long strongly curved bills. They feed on both nectar and a range of small arthropods.
Article
8 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Distribution and habitat
- Description
- Diet and feeding
- Breeding
- Species
- References
- External links
The spiderhunters are birds of the genus Arachnothera, part of the sunbird family Nectariniidae. The genus contains thirteen species found in the forests of south and southeastern Asia. They are large representatives of the sunbird family, with drab plumage and long strongly curved bills. They feed on both nectar and a range of small arthropods.
==Taxonomy== The genus Arachnothera was introduced in 1826 by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck to accommondate a single species, Nectarinia chrysogenys Temminck, the yellow-eared spiderhunter, which is therefore considered to be the type species. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek αραχνης/arakhnēs meaning "spider" with -θηρας/-thēras meaning "hunter".