Birdcatching spider is a large spider of Indonesia and New Guinea. The females are much larger and are seen more often than the males. The females are about 11/4 inches (3 centimeters) long and have oval, gray, or purplish bodies, sometimes marked with yellow. Their strong black legs have yellow bands.
The females build irregular webs, which can be more than 3 feet (1 meter) in diameter. The webs are supported on strong strands, which can be more than 13 feet (4 meters) long. The silk is golden yellow. The webs of sticky threads catch a variety of insects, on which the spiders feed. Occasionally, a small bird or reptile may be caught, but these animals are not the main food of the spiders.
