One of the lesser known hazards of a bird’s life — when flitting from shrub to shrub — is collision with spiders’ webs. And when a bird flies through a web, it’s the spider’s hard work that takes the hit. It can take a spider an hour just to repair the damage and get on with the task of snaring its next meal. Some spiders have evolved a behavior to give birds advance warning of their webs. They weave into the structure visible designs of white, non-sticky silk, called stabilimenta. These make it easier for birds to see it — and avoid it.

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