How to translate text using browser tools
5 February 2021 A Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) captured in the web of a golden silk orb-weaver (Trichonephila clavipes)
Theodore J. Zenzal Jr, Liliana Calderón, Joshua Lefever, Vincent Weber
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

During migration, transient birds usually find themselves stopping in unfamiliar habitats in order to rest and refuel before resuming migratory flight. Here we document the first case, to our knowledge, of a Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) entrapped in a spiderweb. The warbler's tarsus became caught in the mooring thread of a golden silk orb-weaver (Trichonephila clavipes) web and the bird was unable to free itself, resulting in death. While the role of spiderweb-related mortalities is likely minimal, they may represent a type of additive mortality that has been largely unconsidered during migration. Given the spatiotemporal overlap in the prevalence of spiderwebs and movement of migratory birds, researchers should document and report such anecdotal observations to determine the role spiders may play in mortality events during migration.

Theodore J. Zenzal Jr, Liliana Calderón, Joshua Lefever, and Vincent Weber "A Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) captured in the web of a golden silk orb-weaver (Trichonephila clavipes)," The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 132(2), 456-459, (5 February 2021). https://doi.org/10.1676/1559-4491-132.2.456
Received: 10 September 2019; Accepted: 24 July 2020; Published: 5 February 2021
KEYWORDS
Alabama
autumn
migration
mortality
spiderweb
stopover
unfamiliar habitat
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top