Edible-nest Swiftlet

Aerodramus fuciphagus (Thunberg, 1812)

Edible-nest Swiftlet, Aerodramus fuciphagus, breeds across the Oriental Region and Australasia, from the Andaman Islands through south-east Asia to the Lesser Sundas, Borneo and western and south-western Philippines. It is a swift in the family Apodidae. The bird is associated with colonies in coastal places, limestone caves, rock fissures, cliff clefts and sometimes buildings. Its nest is made entirely from hardened saliva and is the source of the edible nests used in bird’s nest soup. The species was first described by Thunberg in 1812.

Order

Apodiformes

Family

Apodidae — Swifts

Breeding range

Oriental Region, Australasia: Andaman Is. to se Asia, Lesser Sundas, Borneo and wc, sw Philippines