It has a deadly, if inaccurate nickname.Scientists have pointed out that the name “bird-eating” spider is, technically, a misnomer. The giant Australian tarantula only occasionally eats birds.

The spider is believed to be a whistling spider (Australian tarantula) — the name relates to the sound they make when feeling threatened. They are also known as bird-eating spiders.

By Corey Charlton, The Sun Published Oct. 24, 2016 Updated Oct. 24, 2016, 5:22 p.m. ET ...