Error message
Unable to fetch location details at this time.
Edible-nest Swiftlet
Aerodramus fuciphagus
4.72294, 118.137
Field Notes
Description:
2 young swiftlets.
The first picture shows a young swift clinging onto my red shirt.
The rest of the photographs show another swift clinging on a rock.
Both are around the same age, still not matured yet.
Black and grey on the top and whiter on the underside.
They have a small beak and closed eyes.
As you can see that their eyes are shut by their nictitating membrane (third eyelid) maybe because their eyes are not fully developed yet or they are protecting their eyes from my bright flashlight.
Habitat:
Nest that are hanging on the cave ceiling of Madai Caves, Madai, Kunak, Sabah, Malaysia.
Notes:
We chose this date to visit Madai Caves because it is the nest-harvesting season.
"This is when harvesters risk their lives to take away the lives of young cave swifts"
The swift nests are scraped out from the cave wall and the eggs and babies inside are thrown out from their nests and left to die, the harvesters only needed the valuable nests which can be sold for a high price to the raw bird nests buyer (about RM20 per nest).
I kind of feel pity knowing that their innocent lives are sacrificed for human's greed for wealth.
Both Aerodramus maximus and Aerodramus fuciphagus are found in this cave, this species could possibly be a A. fuciphagus. Thank you Malcolm and others who have helped me in identifying this bird species.
>>>Map accuracy : 2km diameter.
Comments (17)