Apodiformes / Apodidae / Aerodramus
Edible-nest Swiftlet
Aerodramus fuciphagus · 爪哇金丝燕
Introduction
A small bird of the swift family found in Southeast Asia. It is one of 25 swiftlets in the genus Aerodramus. Its opaque, whitish nest is made exclusively of solidified saliva and is the main ingredient of bird's nest soup. Germain's swiftlet is treated as conspecific with this species.
Description
Body length is 14 cm (5.5 in) and weight ranges from 15 to 18 g (0.53 to 0.63 oz). The upper body is blackish-brown, while the underparts range from white to blackish-brown. The tail is short with a slight notch. The bill and feet are black. Legs are very short, and tarsi are usually unfeathered or lightly feathered. Wings are long, narrow, and swept-back, resembling a crescent in flight. Subspecies micans is paler and greyer than the nominate; vestitus is dark with a less obviously paler rump; germani has much paler underparts with a broad whitish rump; amechanus is similar to germani but has a greyer rump.
Distribution & Habitat
Found in Southeast Asia across eight recognized subspecies: A. f. inexpectatus in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; A. f. vestitus in the Malay Peninsula (possibly introduced), Sumatra, Belitung, and Borneo; A. f. perplexus in Maratua; A. f. fuciphagus in Java, Kangean Islands, Bali, Lombok to Sumbawa, and Flores Sea islands south of Sulawesi; A. f. dammermani in Flores to Alor Island; A. f. micans in Sumba, Savu, and Timor; A. f. germani in southeast Asia, north Borneo islets, Panay, and Palawan group; and A. f. amechanus in Anambas.
Behavior & Ecology
Feeds on flying insects caught on the wing over habitats ranging from coastal areas to mountains, occurring up to 2,800 metres above sea-level on Sumatra and Borneo. Occurs above forests, forest edges, and open country. Spends most of its life in the air and drinks on the wing. Often feeds in large flocks with other swiftlets and swallows. Breeds in colonies in coastal areas, limestone caves, rock crevices, cliff clefts, or sometimes on buildings. The bracket-shaped nest is built on vertical surfaces using hardened saliva, measuring about 6 cm across, 1.5 cm deep, and weighing about 14 grams. Two white, oval, non-glossy eggs are laid. Emits high-pitched burbling calls at breeding colonies and rattling calls for echolocation in dark caves. Never settles voluntarily on the ground.
Conservation
Some populations, such as those in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, have been harvested extensively for their nests and are considered critically threatened under IUCN criteria. Commercial harvesting of colonies occurs due to high nest prices. The use of artificial bird houses for nest farming is growing in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Apodidae
- Genus
- Aerodramus
Taxonomy Changes
Aerodramus germani → Aerodramus fuciphagus
Subspecies lump — GBIF Backbone Taxonomy uses the former name; AviList 2025 uses the current name.
Vocalizations
Subspecies (8)
-
Aerodramus fuciphagus amechanus
Anambas Islands (South China Sea)
Data Sources
CBR Notes: 爪哇金丝燕Aerodramus fuciphagus和戈氏金丝燕A.germani合并为一种A. fuciphagus，学名由Aerodramus germani改为Aerodramus fuciphagus，中文名由戈氏金丝燕改为爪哇金丝燕，应该文明由Germain's Swiftlet改为Edible-nest Swiftlet（Dickinson & Remsen 2013; del Hoyo & Collar 2014）
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
