Archive for May 23rd, 2006
canoe.ca
By DENIS D. GRAY — The Associated Press
 PHANG-NGA BAY, Thailand (AP) — Take globs of bird saliva, a tasteless jelly of little nutritional value, plop it into a broth — and what do you get?
 Bird’s nest soup.
 For devotees, it’s a divine “caviar of the East,” a delicacy so extravagantly priced that some people kill and die over it. For critics, it’s a dish created through cruelty and endowed with spurious qualities like sexual enhancement by status-seeking Chinese.
 The popularity of soup made from the nests of swiftlets continues to soar, depleting bird populations and sparking “birds nest wars” between concession-holders and those like poachers and tourist operators who enter their areas.
 ”They are very nasty people. They’ve been shooting at people for centuries,” says John Gray, an American who ran afoul of the powerful collectors of Phang-nga Bay, where swiftlets make their nests in the caves of spectacular limestone islands.
 Calling it “extortion,” Gray’s kayaking venture initially refused to pay a $2.75-a-head fee demanding by the collectors, who claimed the canoeists were disturbing the nests and thus eating into their profits.
 Gray, whose Sea Canoe company has won several environmental awards, believes the collectors were behind death threats against him and the near fatal shooting of his operations manager in 1998. Recently, Gray had to give in or risk being blown out of the waters of Phang-nga Bay.
 This area of southern Thailand, along with similar environments in Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, are home to swiftlets — sparrow-like birds that laboriously fashion cup-shaped nests for their offspring from glutinous saliva.
 Attached high on cave ceilings, the nests are gathered by workers who must climb rickety bamboo ladders. Injuries and death from falls are not uncommon.
Overharvesting occurs. Nests are snatched away even before eggs are laid, or baby birds are sometimes thrown away, acts that are heatedly criticized by animal welfare activists.
 From the caves of Southeast Asia, millions of nests are sent to Chinese communities around the world, with Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan the top consumers.
 Diners at places like Hong Kong’s Fook Lam Moon restaurant are willing to pay dearly for the highest quality nests — $58 US per bowl of soup.
 Some eat birds’ nests, which are usually mixed with chicken broth, spices or sweet sauces, to show off wealth and status. But many believe they rejuvenate skin, cure lung disease and increase sex drive.
 These claims are dubious at best. Chemical analysis has shown the soup is of low nutritive value. But like tiger penises, rhino horns and other exotic animal parts, the nests are regarded by many Chinese as medicinal and tonic. The demand for such products has devastated endangered wildlife around the globe.
 Alex Yau, at the Hong Kong office of the World Wide Fund for Nature, says the territory imported 985 tonnes of swiftlet nests valued at $700 million between 1992 and 1998.
 A sizable percentage of that was transshipped to China, where nests were first eaten some 1,000 years ago and where Yau says consumption is bound to increase with growing affluence.
 Experts say greater demand and higher prices has caused overharvesting and thus declines in swiftlet populations, and also encouraged nest farming and even trade in fake nests made from gum extract.
 Navjot Sodhi, a biologist at the National University of Singapore, says the number of swiftlets may have declined by as much as 73 per cent in some areas of Southeast Asia between 1962 and 1990 because of nest overharvesting and destruction of forests.
 A push by some western countries to protect swiftlets under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species has failed due mostly to opposition by Southeast Asian countries where so much money is at stake.
 Profits are so big that villagers in Indonesia, Thailand and elsewhere have lured swiftlets into abandoned houses. One such nest farm in southern Thailand features tape-recorded sounds of a waterfall to entice the birds.
Villagers also poach on nest concession areas, arguing that locals get no benefit from the business while concession-holders and governments that collect tax on the nest harvest grow rich.
 Clashes between licensed collectors and locals resulted in the deaths of 14 Thai villagers in the 1990s.
 In his futile fight against the nest collectors of Phang-nga Bay, Gray pointed out they were illegally demanding fees within a national park.
 But one Thai sea canoe operator, Thiti Mokapun, said he knew it was fruitless because of the collectors’ powerful political connections.
 ”We wanted to fight with John, too. We did not want to pay,” he said. “But we realized that in Thailand, often there are forces more powerful than the government.”
 Among them are the gatherers of bird saliva.
May 23rd, 2006
charliesbirdblog.com
Wat Chong Lom (Temple), Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand:
Wat Chong Lom or Wat Sutthi Wata Wararam fronts the river mouth at Tambon Tha Chalom on the western side of the Tha Chin River. It was constructed during the Ayutthaya period, and the religious buildings in the temple have been beautifully renovated. Apart from the aesthetic qualities of the temple complex, the site is well-known amongst birders for its colony of Edible-nest Swiftlets Collocalia fuciphaga. The colony is located high up in the roof of the shrine of one of the temple’s founders, and is guarded at all times to stop thieves stealing the valuable nests - the main ingredient of ‘bird’s nest soup’ (for more “info” see below).
The colony has been using this building for thirty years, and some nests are harvested annually to pay for the protection of the colony and for tubs of mealworms used to feed very young swiftlets (see bottom photo) that are routinely found on the temple floor and are looked after until (hopefully) they fledge. Donations are very welcome from visitors of course.
(Samut Sakhon is located about 28 kms. from Bangkok along Highway no. 35, the Thon Buri-Pak Tho Highway. It is also accessible by train from the Wongwian Yai Railway Station in Bangkok.)
The Edible-nest Swiftlet Collocalia fuciphaga is found throughout S E Asia and is renowned for the fact that the birds’ nests are used for making bird’s nest soup. During the breeding season, the salivary glands of this species expand to produce the special saliva for binding detritus together for building the nest, which is a shallow cup stuck to the cave wall. Nests which are ‘white’ and made purely or almost purely of saliva - like those of the Edible-nest Swiftlets above - are the most valued. When cooked, the birds’ nests have a gelatinous texture and in Chinese cuisine high medicinal and aphrodisiac qualities are ascribed to these nests. Scientific investigations reveal these nests to be high in protein with about 7% lime. Many consumers of bird nest soup report significant improvement in appetite. However, some others noticed excessive secretion of gastric acid that may cause acid reflux symptoms.
Nests are harvested from cave walls and there is increasing concern that over-harvesting is causing several species of cave swiftlets to become scarce. Bird nest merchants in southeast Asia (including Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand) have started to raise and breed the swiftlets in house-like structures. They build the shelters to attract wild swiftlets to build nests in them. The “wrong” kind of nests are then destroyed along with the eggs inside. Over time, the selection process only leaves behind a colony of swiftlets that produce the right kind of nest for the trade. “House nests” are priced much lower than the “cave nests” due to the level of risks involved in the harvesting process of the latter. (Adapted from Birding India: Edible-nest Swiftlet)
 Eating bird’s nests, according to the hyperbole found on the websites of nest merchants, will apparently lead to a remarkably healthy body and mind - forget food, it would seem that swift saliva and detritus are what the human body needs to function properly.
The following was taken directly from www.naturalnest.com: sadly, I could find no mention on their website whether or not the colonies that the company exploits are protected or not.
“The bird’s nest help regulate the function of the endocrine system as well as other body functions. They strengthen the body, moisturize the skin, maintain beauty, provide energy and enhance the metabolism of fat. The bird’s nests are adaptable for either sex or any age group.
The consumption of bird’s nest during pregnancy can increase nutrition and improve the overall health of the mother and child and will give the infant a flexible mind. Woman consuming bird’s nest after giving birth can recover more quickly and slim rapidly to help maintain their beauty.
The stomach and spleen of newborns function weakly. This can easily cause diarrhea and the loss of appetite. Feeding the newborns with bird’s nest that has been dissolved in milk can improve these deficiencies. Babies that are 6 month old can be fed with rice porridge or congee containing bird’s nest.
Children require more nutrition during their growing period. Being fed with bird’s nests can help strengthen the body and stimulate the growth of the brain. Edible bird’s nest not only tastes good but when served with rock sugar, fresh milk or oatmeal aids digestion and constipation.
For youngsters, always consuming bird’s nest can enhance metabolism, strengthen various body functions and reinforce immunity. Besides, it can also smooth the skin and maintain eternal beauty. People, who are highly stressed and are busy in study and work can alleviate tiredness, relieve spiritual pressure and recover body strength through always consuming bird’s nest….” etc etc…
May 23rd, 2006
anakmerdeka.blogspot.com
Bird Flu High Alert has been declared in Indonesia since the outbreak caused the first death in July this year. Should Malaysians be concerned, especially since we are seeing increasing interest in commercial birdnest farming in our towns and cities?
So far the virus had killed 65 people in 4 Asian countries since late 2003, the latest victim being a 5 year old girl from Indonesia. And the Indonesia government had closed down the country’s biggest zoo, the Ragunan Zoo on the outskirts of Jakarta after bird flu was found to have infected 19 exotic birds.
Although Malaysia so far has not seen any case of bird flu, it does not mean that we should not be vigilant towards this highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the virus. And we have cause for concern considering that our authorities are presently rather lax on the issue of regulation of commercial birdnest farming in shophouses and abandoned buildings in and around towns and cities in various parts of Malaysia. These “swiftlet houses” have mushroomed all over the place, sometimes the upper-most floor of a multi-storey commercial building is converted to a “swiftlet house” and some would even convert a whole building into a “swiftlet hotel”, right next to where people live or work on a daily basis.
I don’t know if these birds pose a danger to the people as in whether they could possibly be a potential carrier of the bird-flu virus but nevertheless, it does not take much intelligence to know that they generate a lot of bird droppings which certainly could not be healthy or hygienic for the surrounding environment. Given a choice, would you want to live or work next door to these “bird hotels”?
Let us hope that our country will be spared this latest health scare, otherwise we will see some knee-jerk reaction by our health ministry when people start to look for scapegoats in the event of an unfortunate outbreak of this fearful disease in our country. After all, Indonesia is not that far away from Malaysia.
posted by Anak Merdeka
May 23rd, 2006
chinesefood.about.com
Glossary
Definition: Authentic bird’s nest soup is made using the nests of the swiftlet, a tiny bird found throughout southeast Asia. Instead of twigs and straw, the swiftlet makes its nest from strands of gummy saliva, which harden when exposed to air. Once the nests are harvested, they are cleaned and sold to restaurants, where they are served simmered in chicken broth.
Authentic bird’s nest soup is quite popular throughout Asia, perhaps because it has the reputation of being an aphrodisiac. It is also quite costly; many western restaurants serve a less expensive version consisting of soup with noodles shaped to resemble a bird’s nest.
Written by Rhonda Parkinson
May 23rd, 2006
animal.discovery.com
Swiftlet
Also known as Black-Nest and Edible-Nest (or White-Nest)
(Aerodramus maximus and Aerodramus fuciphagus)
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Apodidae
I. DESCRIPTION:
• The swiftlet is a cave-dwelling bird.
• It is dull brown or gray in color, and paler on the rump and underpart. Swiftlets grow to be 3 1/2 to 6 inches long (the size of a sparrow), and weigh about half an ounce.
• Swiftlets fly lower, more slowly and more erratically than most swifts. They are small swifts, a family superficially similar to swallows, but with longer, more slender, scythe-like wings.
II. GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT:
• Swiftlets inhabit Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
• The live mostly in mountain or coastal caves, and sometimes open areas and towns.
III. DIET:
• Swiftlets eat flying insects, which they catch in midair.
IV. LIFE CYCLE/SOCIAL STRUCTURE:
• Colonies may contain up to a million birds.
• Swiftlets breed in caves.
• During breeding season, a swiftlet’s salivary glands enlarge enormously, enabling the bird to produce the saliva that binds the nest, which takes approximately two months to construct and usually holds one egg.
V. SPECIAL NOTES/ADAPTATIONS:
• Cave-dwelling swiftlets are the only birds to use sonar in maneuvering through darkness. Its sonar consists of clicking sounds at frequencies of 1,500 to 5,500 hertz — audible to the human ear. The sounds are emitted at the rate of about six per second. (Swiftlets are the only true avian troglodytes — cave dwellers.) Not only can they navigate in total darkness, but they can find their own individual nest among hundreds of others.
• A swiftlet nest resembles a small bracket, sometimes containing bits of fern or bark. The male regurgitates a long, thin gelatinous strand from salivary glands under its tongue, which is then wound into a half-cup nest and bonds like quick-drying cement to the inside of a cave wall.
VI. EFFECT ON HABITAT:
• Guano deposited by swiftlets (and many species of bats) gives rise to a whole community of insects that draw energy from the guano and the corpses of the flying animals.
VII. POPULATION STATUS:
• The rising price and demand for swiftlet nests for “bird’s nest soup” has resulted in a decline in the swiftlet population. In most nest-producing countries, swiftlet colonies are dwindling. It is argued that if harvesting continues at its current rate, the species may die out in five to 10 years. Since 1934, an ordinance in Sarawak permits the nests to be harvested only every 75 days. Similarly, in Sabah, only two harvests per year of the white-nest swiftlets are allowed.
VIII. SUBSPECIES:
• The edible-nest swiftlet is also known as the white-nest swiftlet and the brown-rumped swiftlet. Its whitish-yellow nest is bound almost exclusively by saliva.
• The black-nest swiftlet is larger than its 2-inch-deep, “half-saucer”-shaped nest — when it sits in the nest, it faces the cave wall, while its tail and long, folded wings stick out into the air. Its nest is made with saliva and feathers.
May 23rd, 2006