Arachnids for breakfast. Have you ever wondered what spiders taste like?
Two days ago I spent some time with Gray Catbirds in the mountains. Some were juveniles and some were adults but all of them were pretty spooky most of the time so they usually stayed hidden in cover. This one was the exception and gave me a pretty good look.
Some of them were still feeding youngsters, either in the nest or recently fledged. This was a favorite staging perch on their way to deliver prey after they’d captured it but I could barely see the multiple birds that landed here through all the vegetation.
Yes, it was frustrating, especially because dramatic-looking spiders were their preferred prey.
This one successfully hunted spiders near an old piece of junk (irrigation pipe?, plant pot?) in the mud of the stream bed. I like the shadow of the bird and spider on the left.
Looks delish, don’t you think?
This is the same bird after it captured an additional prey item in the mud of what’s left of the stream in this drought.
Adult catbirds eat fruit, insects and spiders. Based on my observations at this location they were eating a lot of berries earlier this summer but now that they’re feeding youngsters they’ve switched over to more insects and spiders in order to provide protein for their growing offspring. They’re known to feed very little fruit (only about 5%) to their chicks.
As an observer I often wonder what various food items of birds taste like, spiders included, so I did a little research. In places like Cambodia fried spiders are a regional snack that’s popular with both locals and tourists and their taste has been described as follows:
“Bland, “rather like a cross between chicken and cod”, with a contrast in texture from a crispy exterior to a soft center. The legs contain little flesh, while the head and body have “a delicate white meat inside”.
Thanks but no thanks. I’ll get my white meat from chicken.
Ron
Wonderful photos, I really like the image with the catbird in the junk. I will pass on eating spiders until I get REALLY desperate.
Fun pics! Those catbirds need to come visit my yard—plenty of spiders and other insects to feed their young (no poisons used here)! And my guess is that they taste sour or bitter … just because they hope to deter their would-be captors. But I’ll never know, definitely not my kind of appetizer. 😳
Chris, I had a pest control guy knock on my door a few days ago wanting to spray my yard. He was incredulous that I wanted nothing to do with his poisons.
Not a lot of meat on those drumsticks.
Like you I really like the shadow shot.
I am having difficulties with accessing my reading list and might be a bit absent for a while. I hope not.
Loved your first sentence, EC.
If you’re absent for a while you’ll be missed.
Always enjoy your posts Ron ❣️ Many thanks for sharing ❣️❣️
My grandmother ( 1886-1986 ! ) always said :
The darker of orange of a chicken egg yolk meant the chickens ate
lots of spiders!
That’s a new one for me, Carolyn. I wonder if there’s any truth to it – those old-timers often knew what they were talking about.
It is redundant – forever hopeful……… 😉
Ron,
Nice pics but amen to “I’ll get my white meat from chicken.”
Stephen
That’s where I got mine for dinner last night, Stephen – baked chicken.
I do like the first photo with the bi-colored tail. I try to avoid eating anything with more than one leg, let alone eight. The Catbirds and Cambodians are welcome to my share.
Lyle, I’d eat more of them if their legs didn’t keep getting stuck between my teeth!
Wonderful series Ron, Thanks for sharing!
Charlotte Norton
Thank you, Charlotte.
Amen to your last sentence. Been to Thailand and seen a few strange to us eating habits. Probably not too different than Cambodia. I for sure though have never wondered or cared what spiders taste like.
Interesting series with excellent photos – especially the closeups.
Guess to Catbirds or any birds, a spider is just another insect.
“Guess to Catbirds or any birds, a spider is just another insect”
That’s true for a lot of people too, Everett. Thank you.
Very beautiful images of this stealthy bird. Spiders are a big part of the food parents give their young. The more I photograph insects, spiders and arthropods, the more I notice the impressive variety of everything that walks, crawls, digs or flies. Have a great day!
“The more I photograph insects, spiders and arthropods, the more I notice the impressive variety of everything that walks, crawls, digs or flies”
Laval, that’s at least partly because arthropods (including insects and spiders) make up over 80% of all known living animal species. They’re an incredibly diverse and successful group of critters.
Love the photos but my stomach is a little too queasy to indulge in speculations like that. But yes, protein does seem to be the best baby food from all that I’ve read ( I try not to observe things like that too closely. A generic “bug” seems to suit my yuck/eek factor best. 😉)
“I try not to observe things like that too closely. A generic “bug” seems to suit my yuck/eek factor best”
Made me smile, Pat. I don’t think you’re the Lone Ranger in that regard.
Great pictures! I especially like the one with the broken pipe. Not sure I share their taste in food though. Still I’m glad something is keep the spider populations in check. Knew there was a reason I liked catbirds.
Thanks, Woody. I think there are many reasons to like catbirds
The catbird is eating healthily — raw spiders. Leave it to humans to fry something “healthy” in high temps oil until it’s crispy on the outside, turning it into something unhealthy.
Yup, including me Terri. I prefer my chicken fried. And crispy. I’ll leave spiders, raw or fried, to others.
I notice they’ve clamped down on the head – possibly to avoid injury? Not my cup of tea for a snack – glad it works for them! 😉 Nice captures! 🙂
74 again this morning – lying forecast predicted a low of 60……..
Thanks, Judy.
When it comes to weatherpersons isn’t “lying forecast” redundant…