White-Nest Swiftlet

The edible-nest swiftlet, or white-nest swiftlet, is a small swift of Southeast Asia, about 14 cm long and 15–18 g. The upperparts of the slender body are blackish brown and the underparts range from white to blackish brown, with a short, slightly notched tail and black bill and feet. In flight the swept-back wings look like a crescent. Its nest is white and translucent, made of layers of hardened saliva attached to rock, about 6 cm across and 14 g in weight (Wikipedia, general species account).

The nest is the main ingredient of bird's nest soup, a delicacy of Chinese cuisine. The swiftlet feeds over a range of habitats from coasts to mountains, occurring up to 2,800 m above sea level on Sumatra and Borneo, and its diet is flying insects caught on the wing. Two white eggs are laid. Germain's swiftlet is now treated as conspecific with this species (Wikipedia, general species account).