The edible-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus), also known as the white-nest swiftlet, is a small bird of the swift family which is found in Southeast Asia. Its opaque and whitish bird nest is made exclusively of solidified saliva and is the main ingredient of bird's nest soup, a delicacy of Chinese cuisine. Description The edible-nest swiftlet, generally with a body length of 14cm (5.5. in), is a medium-sized representative of the salangans. The upper part of the slender body is blackish-brown; the under part of the body ranges in colour from white to blackish-brown. The tail is short and has a slight notch. The bill and feet are black. Legs are very short and tarsi are usually unfeathered or lightly feathered. It weighs 15 to 18 grams and the wings are long and narrow. In flight the swept-back wings resemble a crescent. The subspecies A. f. micans is paler and greyer while A. f. vestitus is darker with a rump that is less obviously paler. Distribution and subspecies This species is present in the Andamans, in the coasts of South-East Asia and in the Indonesian Archipelago. The range is quite extensive, but highly fragmented. There are six subspecies of the edible-nest swiftlet: Aerodramus fuciphagus fuciphagus – The nominate subspecies found in Java, Bali and the western Lesser Sunda Islands Aerodramus fuciphagus inexpectatus – Andaman and Nicobar Islands, vagrant to Burma Aerodramus fuciphagus dammermani – Flores, known from only a single specimen Aerodramus fuciphagus micans – eastern Lesser Sundas (Sumba, Savu and Timor) Aerodramus fuciphagus vestitus – Sumatra and Borneo, sometimes considered to be a separate species, the brown-rumped swiftlet, Aerodramus vestitus (Lesson, 1843). Aerodramus fuciphagus perplexus – Maratua Archipelago off eastern Borneo Germain's swiftlet (Aerodramus germani), with two subspecies germani and amechanus, was formerly considered to be conspecific with the edible-nest swiftlet, but is now often considered to be a separate species. It occurs in the Malay Peninsula, central Thailand, coastal Vietnam and Cambodia, Hainan, northern Borneo and parts of the Philippines. Behavior The edible-nest swiftlet feeds over a range of habitats from coastal areas to the mountains, occurring up to 2,800 metres above sea-level on Sumatra and Borneo. These birds generally occur above forests, the forest edge, but also in open country. These birds spend most of their lives in the air. Its diet consists of flying insects which are caught on the wing. They also drink on the wing.