Swift Success in Urban Nests

Singapore, 11 November 2008
The New Paper - Reported by: Benson Ang

The swift commonly found in the nesting house of Mr. Francis Tay and his friends are known as the white nest swiftlet.

While bird's nests are traditionally formed in limestone caves in Borneo, Malaysian and Indonesian urban dwellers began discovering nests in the upper levels of their homes about 20 years ago.

These homeowners then started selleng these nests to meet the increasing demand for the delicacy in China.

By the late 1990s, these dwellers chose to live elsewhere, and devote their houses exclusively to harvesting bird's nests.
These nesting houses typically have row of circular apertures on the sides of their walls, which provide ventilation without admitting harsh sunlight and winds.

According to the investors, swiftlets lay about 6 eggs a year - two eggs every four months.
The nests are composed of solidified saliva and built during the breeding season. It takes the shape of a shallow cup stuck to a cave wall, or roof batten.
After nestings have left, the nests are harvested and any feathers in the nests are removed.

Bird's nest soup is prepared by soaking the nests in water. It is said to have various medicinal qualities, such as being good for the lung and complexion.