Scientific Name: Aerodramus maximus
Malay Name: Layang-layang Gua Sarang Hitam
Chinese Name: 大金丝燕
Range: Found from Southern Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Singapore to Indonesia.
Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: maximus, lowi, tichelmani.
Local Subspecies: maximus
Size: 12-13.5 cm
Identification: A small swift with blackish-brown upperparts, dull rump-band and paler underparts. Indistinguishable from Edible-nest Swiftlet when seen in flight. Can only be conclusively identified either with a bird in hand to see its heavily feathered tarsals or at its nest which is blackish in colour. It lays only one egg as opposed to two eggs by the Edible-nest Swiftlet.
Similar looking species: Plume-toed Swiftlet, Edible-nest Swiftlet
Habitat: Recorded over a wide variety of habitats, forests, clearings, coast, lowlands, mountains and also out at sea.
Behaviour/Ecology: Feed on small insects taken in flight. Gregarious and often forage in big flocks together with other Swiftlets and Swallows.
Local Status: Very common resident and very common introduced resident
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)
Location: Throughout Singapore. Known to nest in Sentosa and Pedra Branca.
- Pelagic Bird Survey to the Horsburgh Lighthouse – 29 April 2017 (Trip Reports)
- Local extinctions of Singapore birds (Science)
- Some birds cannot be identified? (ID Articles)
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Black-nest Swiftlet)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Aerodramus maximus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22686610A93118331.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Black-nest Swiftlet. Retrieved on June 16, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/black-nest-swiftlet.