Aerodramus fuciphagus
The Edible-nest Swiftlet, *Aerodramus fuciphagus*, is a small, highly aerial bird integral to the ecosystems of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. Averaging about 12 cm in length with a wingspan of 27-30 cm and weighing 12-16 grams, it presents a drab, sooty-brown plumage overall, often with a slightly paler rump, which can vary subtly between subspecies, and notably lacks any iridescent sheens seen in some other swift species. Its long, pointed wings are adapted for continuous flight, whil...
Primarily found in tropical and subtropical coastal areas, inhabiting limestone caves, sea cliffs, and increasingly, artificial swiftlet houses in proximity to open foraging grounds.
Strictly aerial insectivores, feeding on a wide variety of small flying insects including ants, termites, beetles, flies, and moths, caught mid-flight.
Edible-nest Swiftlets are strictly diurnal foragers, spending most of their daylight hours tirelessly in the air, only returning to dark caves or artificial structures to roost at night. They are obligate aerial insectivores, employing agile, high-speed flight to hawk insects directly from the ai...
The Edible-nest Swiftlet exhibits a wide, largely resident distribution across Maritime Southeast Asia and islands in the Indian Ocean, with a complex network of recognized subspecies. Its primary range encompasses Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, and the...
Least Concern
- The Edible-nest Swiftlet is one of only a handful of bird species in the world, and the only one outside of a single genus of oilbirds, known to use echolocation to navigate in complete darkness. - Their famous 'edible' nests are constructed entirely from their own solidified saliva, taking up ...