Scientific Name: Aerodramus fuciphagus
Malay Name: Layang-layang Gua Sarang Putih
Chinese Name: 爪哇金丝燕
Alternative Name(s): Thunberg's Swiftlet
Range: Found from Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Bali, Lesser Sundas, Singapore to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: inexpectatus, vestitus, perplexus, fuciphagus, dammermani, micans, germani, amechanus.
Local Subspecies: fuciphagus
Size: 11-12 cm
Identification: Indistinguishable from Black-nest Swiftlet when seen in flight. Can only be identified conclusively with a bird in hand (from the lightly feathered to naked tarsi) or at its nest which is all white. Lays two eggs as opposed to one egg of the Black-nest Swiftlet.
Similar looking species: Plume-toed Swiftlet, Black-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 swiftlet species 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.
- Local extinctions of Singapore birds (Science)
- Some birds cannot be identified? (ID Articles)
- Checklist Revision for September 2024 (Checklist Revisions)
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (White-nest Swiftlet)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Aerodramus fuciphagus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T60847684A95163737.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Cranbrook, E., Goh, W. L., Lim, C. K. & Rahman, M. A. (2013) The species of white-nest swiftlets (Apodidae, Collocaliini) of Malaysia and the origins of house-farm birds: morphometric and genetic evidence. Forktail, 29, 107–119
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.). Edible-nest Swiftlet. Retrieved on December 17, 2024 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/edible-nest-swiftlet.