Edible-nest swiftlet

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Edible-nest swiftlet
Apodidae - Aerodramus fuciphagus (Edible-nest swiftlet).JPG
Edible-nest swiftlet in a museum
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Clade: Strisores
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Apodidae
Genus: Aerodramus
Species:
A. fuciphagus
Binomial name
Aerodramus fuciphagus
(Thunberg, 1812)
AerodramusFuciphagusDistribution.png
Distribution
Synonyms

Collocalia fuciphaga

The edible-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus), also known as the white-nest swiftlet, is a small bird of the swift family which is found in Southeast Asia. Its opaque and whitish bird nest is made exclusively of solidified saliva and is the main ingredient of bird's nest soup, a delicacy of Chinese cuisine. Germain's swiftlet (Aerodramus germani) is now treated as conspecific with this species.

Contents

Taxonomy

The edible-nest swiftlet was formally described in 1812 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg under the binomial name Hirundo fuciphaga based on a specimen collected on the island of Java. [2] [3] The specific epithet fuciphaga combines the Ancient Greek φυκος/phukos meaning "seaweed" with -φαγος/-phagos meaning "-eating". [4] The edible-nest swiftlet is now one of 25 swiftlets placed in the genus Aerodramus that was introduced in 1906 by the American ornithologist Harry C. Oberholser. [5]

Eight subspecies are recognised: [5]

The last two subspecies in the above list (germani and amechanus) have sometimes been treated as a separate species, Germain's swiftlet (Aerodramus germani). The species are lumped together as the morphological differences are minor and clinal while the genetic differences are small. [5] [6] [7] [8]

Description

Couple of swiftlets in nest Balinsasayaw Couple.jpg
Couple of swiftlets in nest

The edible-nest swiftlet, generally with a body length of 14 cm (5.5 in), is a medium-sized representative of the salangans. [9] The upper part of the slender body is blackish-brown; the under part of the body ranges in colour from white to blackish-brown. The tail is short and has a slight notch. [10] The bill and feet are black. Legs are very short and tarsi are usually unfeathered or lightly feathered. [11]

It weighs 15 to 18 g (0.53 to 0.63 oz) [12] and the wings are long and narrow. In flight the swept-back wings resemble a crescent. [10]

The subspecies micans is paler and greyer than the nominate while vestitus is dark with a rump that is less obviously paler. Subspecies germani has much paler underparts with a broad whitish rump, amechanus is similar to germani but has a greyer rump. [13]

Behavior

In flight AerodramusFuciphagus.LipKee.jpg
In flight

The edible-nest swiftlet feeds over a range of habitats from coastal areas to the mountains, occurring up to 2,800 metres above sea-level on Sumatra and Borneo. These birds generally occur above forests, the forest edge, but also in open country. [11]

These birds spend most of their lives in the air. Their diet consists of flying insects that are caught on the wing. [14] They also drink on the wing. [10] They often feed in large flocks with other species of swiftlet and swallow. [11]

They breed in colonies in coastal areas, in limestone caves, in rock crevices, in a cleft in a cliff or sometimes on a building. [11] The bracket-shaped nest is built on a vertical surface and the long legs are used for clinging. These swifts never settle voluntarily on the ground. [10] The nest is white and translucent and is made of layers of hardened saliva attached to the rock.

A nest typically measures about 6 cm across with a depth of 1.5 cm and a weight of about 14 grams. Two white, oval, non-glossy eggs are laid. [10]

At breeding colonies, the birds emit high-pitched and burbling calls. [11] They also emit a rattling call used for echolocation, which enables them to look for their nesting sites in the darkness of caves. [9] [11] [15]

Threats and conservation

The nest before use in bird's nest soup SwiftletBirdNests.jpg
The nest before use in bird's nest soup

The nest used in bird's nest soup is composed entirely of saliva. The soup is made by soaking and steaming the nests in water. It is said to improve kidney health, reduce phlegm, and to be an aphrodisiac. [10] [16] The nests can fetch high prices and many colonies are harvested commercially.

Some populations such as those in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been harvested extensively leading to them being considered critically threatened under the IUCN criteria. [1] [17]

The use of artificial bird houses is growing. [18] A detailed account of modern nest farming and marketing techniques is given by David Jordan (2004). [19]

In Indonesia and Malaysia, "farming" of nests is performed in purpose-built structures or old empty houses with "tweeters" playing recordings of bird calls on the roof to attract swiftlets. In urban areas, such "bird houses" may be considered a nuisance by neighbours due to the loud bird calls and bird feces. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swift (bird)</span> Family of birds

The Apodidae, or swifts, form a family of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are not closely related to any passerine species. Swifts are placed in the order Apodiformes along with hummingbirds. The treeswifts are closely related to the true swifts, but form a separate family, the Hemiprocnidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiftlet</span> Tribe of birds in the swift family

Swiftlets are birds from the four genera Aerodramus, Collocalia, Hydrochous and Schoutedenapus, which form the tribe Collocaliini within the swift family Apodidae. The group contains around thirty species mostly confined to southern Asia, south Pacific islands, and northeastern Australia, all within the tropical and subtropical regions. They are in many respects typical members of the Apodidae, having narrow wings for fast flight, with a wide gape and small reduced beak surrounded by bristles for catching insects in flight. What distinguishes many but not all species from other swifts and indeed almost all other birds is their ability to use a simple but effective form of echolocation to navigate in total darkness through the chasms and shafts of the caves where they roost at night and breed.

<i>Aerodramus</i> Genus of birds

Aerodramus is a genus of small, dark, cave-nesting birds in the Collocaliini tribe of the swift family. Its members are confined to tropical and subtropical regions in southern Asia, Oceania and northeastern Australia. Many of its members were formerly classified in Collocalia, but were first placed in a separate genus by American ornithologist Harry Church Oberholser in 1906.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian swiftlet</span> Species of bird

The Indian Swiftlet or Indian Edible-Nest Swiftlet is a small swift. It is a common resident colonial breeder in the hills of Sri Lanka and south west India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mossy-nest swiftlet</span> Species of bird

The mossy-nest swiftlet is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. Some taxonomists consider it to be a subspecies of the uniform swiftlet. It is found in northern Borneo, the Natuna and the Derawan Islands and Nias island off western Sumatra. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seychelles swiftlet</span> Species of bird

The Seychelles swiftlet is a small bird of the swift family. It is found only in the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ameline swiftlet</span> Subspecies of bird

The Ameline swiftlet, also known as the grey swiftlet, was formerly considered as a subspecies of the uniform swiftlet. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. Despite some fears around conservation, the species remains a Least-concern species.

<i>Collocalia</i> Genus of birds

Collocalia is a genus of swifts, containing some of the smaller species termed "swiftlets". Formerly a catch-all genus for these, a number of its former members are now normally placed in Aerodramus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossy swiftlet</span> Species of bird

The glossy swiftlet is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and eastwards to New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mascarene swiftlet</span> Species of bird

The Mascarene swiftlet or Mauritius swiftlet is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found in Mauritius and Réunion, and the populations on the two islands have recently been confirmed to differ subspecifically. The nominate race francicus is found on Mauritius and the recently described race saffordi occurs on Réunion. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, caves, arable land, and heavily degraded former forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

The Moluccan swiftlet is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae that is found on Sulawesi and on the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. Two subspecies, the Sulawesi swiftlet and the Seram swiftlet, have sometimes been considered as separate species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cave swiftlet</span> Species of bird

The cave swiftlet or linchi swiftlet is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found on the Indonesia islands of Sumatra, Java and Bali. It is a woodland species and nests in caves. The Bornean swiftlet was considered a subspecies, but is now usually considered distinct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-nest swiftlet</span> Species of bird

The black-nest swiftlet is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine swiftlet</span> Species of bird

The Philippine swiftlet is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is endemic to the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian swiftlet</span> Species of bird

The Australian swiftlet is a small bird belonging to the genus Aerodramus in the swift family, Apodidae. It is endemic to Queensland in north-eastern Australia. It was formerly included in the white-rumped swiftlet but is now commonly treated as a separate species. It has two subspecies which are occasionally regarded as two separate species: A. t. terraereginae and A. t. chillagoensis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edible bird's nest</span> Bird nests made out of solidified swiftlet saliva, harvested for human consumption

Edible bird's nests, also known as swallow nests, are bird nests created from solidified saliva by edible-nest swiftlets, Indian swiftlets and other swiftlets of the genera Aerodramus, Hydrochous, Schoutedenapus and Collocalia, which are harvested for human consumption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apodinae</span> Subfamily of birds

The Apodinae are a subfamily of swifts and contain the following species:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plume-toed swiftlet</span> Species of bird

The plume-toed swiftlet is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is found on some eastern Indian Ocean islands, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and lowland Borneo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ridgetop swiftlet</span> Species of bird

The ridgetop swiftlet is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is endemic to the Philippines.

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2016). "Aerodramus fuciphagus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T60847684A95163737. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T60847684A95163737.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Thunberg, Carl Peter (1812). "Anmärkningar om de Svalor, som bygga gelé-acktige ätbare nästen". Kungl. Svenska vetenskapsakademiens handlingar (in Swedish and Latin). 33: 151-156 [153-154].
  3. ↑ Peters, James Lee, ed. (1940). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 4. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 222.
  4. ↑ Jobling, James A. "fuciphaga". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2024). "Owlet-nightjars, treeswifts & swifts". IOC World Bird List Version 14.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  6. ↑ Clements, J.F.; Rasmussen, P.C.; Schulenberg, T.S.; Iliff, M.J.; Fredericks, T.A.; Gerbracht, J.A.; Lepage, D.; Spencer, A.; Billerman, S.M.; Sullivan, B.L.; Smith, M.; Wood, C.L. (2024). "The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2024" . Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  7. ↑ Cibois, A.; Thibault, J.-C.; McCormack, G.; Pasquet, E. (2018). "Phylogenetic relationships of the Eastern Polynesian swiftlets (Aerodramus, Apodidae) and considerations on other Western Pacific swiftlets". Emu - Austral Ornithology. 118 (3): 247–257. doi:10.1080/01584197.2017.1420422.
  8. ↑ Cranbrook, Earl of; Goh, W.L.; Lim, C.K.; Mustafa, A.R. (2013). "The species of white-nest swiftlets (Apodidae, Collocaliini) of Malaysia and the origins of house-farm birds: morphometric and genetic evidence". Forktail. 29: 107–119.
  9. 1 2 Chantler, Phil; Driessens, Gerald (2000). Swifts: A Guide to the Swifts and Treeswifts of the World (2nd ed.). New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 150–152. ISBN   0-300-07936-2.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Indian Swiftlets or Indian Edible-nest Swiftlets
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Allen Jeyarajasingam A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-963942-7
  12. ↑ C. M. Francis: The management of edible birds nest caves in Sabah. Sabah Forestry Department, Sandakan 1987
  13. ↑ Chantler, P. (1999). "Family Apodidae (Swifts)" . In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 5: Barn-owls to Hummingbirds. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 388-457 [434]. ISBN   978-84-87334-25-2.
  14. ↑ Lourie, S.A.; Tompkins, D.M. (2000). "The diets of Malaysian swiftlets". Ibis. 142 (4): 596–602. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.2000.tb04459.x.
  15. ↑ Hendrik A. Thomassen: Swift as sound. Design and evolution of the echolocation system in Swiftlets (Apodidae: Collocaliini). Universität Leiden, 2005
  16. ↑ "Bird's nest soup is more popular than ever, thanks to Swiftlet House farms". Audubon. 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  17. ↑ Sankaran, R. (2001). "The status and conservation of the edible-nest swiftlet (Collocalia fuciphaga) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands". Biological Conservation. 97 (3): 283–294. doi:10.1016/S0006-3207(00)00124-5.
  18. ↑ Boyle, Joe (2011). "Welcome to Indonesia's bird nest soup factory town". BBC.
  19. 1 2 Jordan, David, 2004 "Globalisation and Bird's Nest Soup" International Development Planning Review, Volume 26, Number 1, Liverpool Unviversity Press 2004

Further reading

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