Where do swiftlet birds live?
swiftlet, (genus Collocalia), any of numerous species of cave-dwelling birds belonging to the swift family, Apodidae, found from southeastern Asia (India and Sri Lanka) and the Malay Peninsula through the Philippines, and eastward to the islands of the South Pacific.
What does swiftlet mean?
Definition of swiftlet : any of various cave-dwelling swifts (genus Collocalia synonym Aerodramus) of Asia including one (C. fuciphaga) that produces the nest used in bird’s nest soup.
How much is a swiftlet nest?
White swiftlet nests retail for S$3,500 ($2,600 USD) per kilogram, while “blood nests” — red swiftlet nests — can command up to S$10,000 ($7,400 USD) per kilogram. The red coloration is caused by minerals in the swiftlet nests interacting with the environment.
What do swiftlet bird collectors do?
These days the collectors tie a thick rope around their waist and between their legs to a main rope, and scale the cave walls with support from other members, who help pull them up if anyone falls down, Alifen explained. “This job is all about guts. Do you have the guts?” the 50-year-old ex-collector asked with a grin.
What does swiftlet bird eat?
insects
Swiftlet depends heavily on insects as the source of food as a basic need for life and productivity requirements (Norhayati et al. 2010). As a specialist insect-eating birds (insectivorous) they eat the insects as they fly through the air with the help of a very sharp vision (Lim 2011).
What are swiftlet nests made of?
The nests are made of swiftlet saliva, excreted from glands just inside the birds’ beaks.
Why is bird’s nest soup so expensive?
The partially dissolved nest of a swiftlet, a small bird native to Southeast Asia. Three times a year, swiftlets build nests out of their sticky saliva on cave walls and cliff sides, where they raise their young. It’s the high cost of these saliva nests that makes bird’s nest soup so expensive.
How many types of swiftlet are there?
96
Altogether, there are approximately 96 known species of swiftlets, of which approximately 30 of the species residing within Southeast Asia and Northeastern Australia. All swiftlets belong to the Apodiform order and the Apodidae family.
Do Chinese eat birds nest?
The best-known use of edible birds nest is bird’s nest soup, a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. When dissolved in water, the birds’ nests have a favored gelatinous texture utilized in soup or sweet soup (tong sui).
Is birds nest soup safe?
Wikimedia CommonsA traditional bowl of bird’s nest soup. The hefty price tag comes from the dangerous and extensive process of procuring the nests and cleaning them, so they are safe for consumption. In the wild, the swiftlet builds its nest at dizzying heights, usually in mountaintop caves.
Is bird saliva healthy?
Researchers found that bird saliva and other components in swallow’s nests “effectively accelerates the proliferation and the antibody secretion of the cells.” In layman’s terms, bird saliva jump-starts a body’s ability to produce immune-system cells that fight disease, boosting overall body health.