About us
关于我们

Products
产品

About Bird Nest
燕窝资讯

Essential Fact
基本事实

FAQ
常见问题

Contact us
联络我们

:: ABOUT BIRD NEST / 燕窝资讯

There are many different species of Rain Swiftlets in the world but only a small portion of them build nests which are edible. There are only three types of swiftlets which build edible bird's nests:

1. Edible-Nest Swiflet_Collocalia Fuciphaga ：

This type of rain swiftlet is characterized by its brownish grey feathers, dark brown eyes and black beak and feet. They measure 10-12 cm long, their wings are long and sharp, their tails are short and squarish and they are excellent flyers. They have weak feet and all four of their claws face forward, thus making it difficult for them to walk or stand. Collocalia ciphaga swiftlets use their feet to hook themselves when resting and sleeping after attaining adulthood, just like bats and they do not live in nests. They have excellent salivary glands which secrete saliva that solidify when exposed to the air.

The purpose Collocalia ciphaga swiftlets build nests is in anticipation of the arrival of their youngs. When the nesting season is near, they begin to grow in size and secretion of saliva increases to be used as raw material in building their nests. Collocalia ciphaga build their nests three times annually and lays two eggs which are oval in shape and white in colour each time. From the construction of their nests [approximately 45-50 days], egg production [approximately 7-10 days], hatching [approximately 15 days], emergence of nestlings, feeding to independent flight [45-50 days], the whole process take about 110-120 days.

Each nest is used once only, and harvesting of bird's nests is done only after the swiftlet nestlings have grown up, able to fly and left the nests. The average lifespan of Collocalia ciphaga swiftlets is approximately 15-20 years and each pair of swiftlets can produce 45-60 nests in its lifetime.

Whether they are cave swiftlets or house swiftlets, they search for food in the morning and return to their nests by night. That is why even Collocalia ciphaga swiftlets in houses are wild swiftlets. Collocalia ciphaga swiftlets are natural enemies of insects. Their ability to catch insects is very much above other birds and animals.

2. Black Nest Swiflet_Collacalia Maxima：

Their scientific name is Aerodomux Maxima and the nests of these swiftlets are made of their saliva together with much of their brown feathers, thus they are known as Feather Bird's Nest. Collacalia Maxima swiftlets use the feathers found on their legs to build nests. These bird's nest pieces contain some 5-15% pure edible bird's nest. They are normally used in the production of and sold as bottled bird's nests and bird's nest pieces, loose bird's nest and broken bird's nest pieces. Collocalia Maxima are larger in size compared with Collocalia Fuciphaga and they measure approximately 11-13 cm long. The difference between them is that the former has a row of fine feathers on its lower leg and these rain swiftlets may be divided into those with red legs and those with white. They lay one egg at a time.

3. Giant Swiflet_Hydrochous Gigas：

Hydrochous Gigas swiftlets produce lots of saliva and they combine this saliva with fine straws to make their nests, resulting in high levels of impurities. The body of Hydrochous Gigas swiftlets is dark blue to black in colour, with luster. They are larger in size compared to Collocalia Fucuphaga and Collocalia Maxima and measure approximately 16 cm and their tails are split.

Hydrochous Gigas can be divided into house Hydrochous Gigas and cave Hydrochous Gigas and they mostly live by the sea, especially in Indonesia and the Sulu Sea in the south of the Philipines.

全世界拥有很多种类的雨燕，但只有小部分的雨燕所建造的巢可供食用。其中能建造可供食用的燕窝只有以下三类：

1. 金丝燕：

此类雨燕的特征是有一段棕灰色的羽毛，眼睛呈暗褐色，黑色的喙及脚。体长约10-12 公分、翅膀长而尖、尾巴短呈方形、飞行力很强。脚细弱、四只脚趾并排向前伸，所以不善行走或站立。成年后的金丝燕休息或睡觉时，是犹如蝙蝠般以双脚勾着，而非住在鸟巢中。它們有非常發達的唾液泉，分泌出來的唾液能在空氣中凝成固體。

金絲燕筑巢的目的是为了迎接小生命的到来。在产卵期接近时，其体态会自然逐渐丰滿起來，唾液也较多，以供其做为其筑巢材料。金絲燕每年筑巢三次，每次产卵两颗，蛋的外形呈椭圆型及白色。从燕子筑窩[约45天]、产卵 [约7 - 10天 ]，孵蛋 [约15天] ，出世、哺育至能独立飞行[45 - 50天]，全程约需110 - 120天。
每盏巢窩只会用一次，采割燕窩工作都会待到小燕子生长能飞时，棄窩而去后才进行。金絲燕的平均寿命介于15 - 20年，一对燕子一生可生产 45 - 60 盏燕窝。

不论是洞燕或屋燕，皆是清晨出外觅食，傍晚回归，所以即使在燕屋中的金丝燕仍属于野生。金丝燕是天生的昆虫天敌，捕捉昆虫的能力远超过其它飞禽走兽。

2. 毛燕：

科学名称为 Aerodromux Maxima，这种雨燕的巢是以唾液掺杂了许多棕色的羽毛而筑成，所以也称为毛燕。毛燕用遍布它腿部的羽毛筑成巢。这种燕盏里只含 5-15% 燕丝。通常用于制造罐装燕窝及以燕饼、燕丝和燕碎形式出售。Collocalia Maxima 比 Collocalia Fuciphaga 的体积大，约 11-13 公分。它们之间的差别是前者的小腿长有一排细毛，这种雨燕可分为红腿及白腿，每次生产一蛋。

3. 草燕：

草燕是來自一些唾液黏力特強的燕子，以幼草和唾液筑窝，含大量杂质。草燕身呈深蓝黑色，带有光泽，体积比 Collocalia Fucuphaga 及 Collocalia Maxima 大，约16 公分，尾部分叉。

草燕可分为屋草燕或洞草燕，它们多居住在沿海一带，尤其在印尼和菲律宾南部苏禄海一带。