Huntsman spider in the aviary

[jusdeb]

Other half got tangled in one during an apple theiving oops I mean apple picking expedition .
Hes a big boy and still had trouble not entangling him self more and more ...quite funny really .
The web is like velcro , nothing gets away .

[Tintola]

In over 40 years of bird keeping I have never had a problem of spiders in the aviaries being a threat to small birds. I get huntsman spiders in most aviaries but they are nocturnal and hide during the day if they have any sense, as many of the softbills would relish them. (Kingfishers, Curlews, Pittas, and Thrushes) They hunt and eat cockroaches, steal mealworms and crickets so I do relocate them from the aviaries where they are to the aforementioned Kingfisher aviary after giving them a small tap on the head. I've had them living behind and in Gouldian nest boxes and I feel that there is the potential for one to confuse a newly hatched finch with something else edible, so they too are "relocated". I have seen Huntsman Spiders carrying around small lizards, and even a frog on one occasion. They are capable of overwhelming prey as big as themselves.

On the subject of Orb Weaver Spiders, they certainly are capable of ensnaring a finch sized bird but as previously stated one big enough to do so would not get through mesh suitable for finches, and a small one that could would be noticed in its web and removed long before it was capable of doing so.

[finchbreeder]

Ord weavers are a completely different spider. Definately not welcome anywhere on my property. Sometimes relocated to the bush over the back and sometimes disposed of more permanently. Depends on the difficulty of relocating.
LML

[arthur]

Well I stand corrected on the Huntsman's menu

But I will dispute the 'too big to negotiate 12mm mesh' . . surely then a Huntsman would then also be too big . . and again I don't know if it was an Orb Spider that ensnared the plumhead in an aviary clad in 12mm mesh . . but it does seem likely on the postings

Aviaries now all 6mm . . don't know whether that is too small for the spiders or whether they fall victim to the geckoes which seem to negotiate 6mm without any problem

[vettepilot_6]

Not a spider but a mate in Mackay had a Green Tree Frog swallow a hapless Crimson Finch....he found the frog in the aviary with a red feather sticking out of its mouth..pulled on it and lo and behold there was the poor finch.....

[finchbreeder]

The Huntsman spider can flatten itself as snakes do and go through the gaps beside and under the doors. Note to all building or altering avairys to make sure these gaps are as small as possible. I find the snakes just slide through sideways while flattened. The Ord spider has a very solid globeular body which prevents this, fortunately.
LML

[natamambo]

That finch photo has been doing the rounds of the internet for years.

Where i stayed with family in New Guinea many years ago had a bird eating spider living in the outhouse, going after dark could be a bit of a challenge .

[SamDavis]

Coincidence this thread has come up. Never seen this before, but last week I had 2 young longtails fluttering around having trouble flying and it turned out both were covered in spider's web - both fine now. Then this morning after reading this thread I spotted a young plumhead with the same issue - this bloke can fly ok but looks a real mess.
Just nipped out and got some pics of the plumhead...

SpiderPlum (Small).jpg

SpiderPlum2 (Small).jpg

It's a bit hard to see the spider web clearly in the pic - you can see some strands trailing off his tail but he's got it all over his chest and on his head. No doubt he'll spend the day preening and will be fine, but I can see how it would make a wild fledgling easy prey.

[arthur]

Might be a Plumhead 'thing'

But be aware that spiders are at least a 'potential' problem . .

Now what about Redbacks in nestboxes and logs

[garymc]

Pesonally I would and do get more concerned by huntsmen spiders causing night frights rather than them taking chicks etc. And yes we also have golden orbs in numbers but have never seen one in the aviaries.