Uch... That's a nephila spider in the second photo. Very common where I lived in Florida. They get big and sometimes live in communities. You learn in Florida not to walk aimlessly between two cars parked close together that look like they've been there a while.
I knew about spiders eating birds because there's that one tarantula called the Goliath birdeater (Google it if you dare). Thank God I don't live in the Amazon.
A preying mantis will also prey on hummingbirds from time to time. I am shocked to see those spiders getting so big. I generally don't kill spiders in my house, but I also avoid them. I don't like spiders.
In fact I do use spiders, though they got mutated with solar radiation and got bigger and smarter. Live in large colonies on Mars, and play hollow logs in the deep desert. By now you are probably wondering how spiders ever made it that far. Same as how every spider travels, hiding in imported cargo of course.
I thought it was already a known and has been proven many times that the spider will beat the bird. Just take a look at the pictures below captured in direct confrontation. Some studies suggest this rare breed of spider has also been known to get the better of big game hunters, lizards and even an octopus. Truly a fascinating creature.
