Birds Nest

Edible Birds Nests

Edible-nest swiftlets nest communally in caves, building nests high above the ground. During nest building, the birds’ salivary glands become enlarged and produce thick ropey sticky saliva that hardens quickly when exposed to air. Over a period of weeks, swiftlets gradually construct a cup-shaped nest about the size of a human ear. Nests may be white, golden, black, or red: white nests are very clean and contain nothing but saliva; black nests contain plant parts and feathers; red are believed to contain blood from the birds’ salivary glands, but the colour may actually come from insects that they have eaten, or minerals leaching from the cave wall.