The swiftlet is a small bird known for its valuable nests that are used in the luxury food and beverage industry. However, despite the well-known economic value of edible birdnests, there is still much to learn about the bird itself. For example, what do swiftlets like to eat and why is their saliva so expensive? What is the lifespan of a swiftlet and what are the signs of their presence? Are edible birdnests halal and what makes them so special? This article will answer these questions and provide more information about swiftlets, which are often regarded as mysterious and exotic animals.
What Do Swiftlets Like to Eat?
Swiftlets are known as birds that are very selective about their food. They only eat certain types of food that allow them to produce saliva to build their nests. Some of the preferred foods of swiftlets include flies, moths, and other flying insects. In addition, they also consume nectar from flowers that have high sugar content.
As the edible birdnest industry has developed, some farmers have even tried to provide additional food to increase the production of saliva from swiftlets. Some of the additional foods given include seafood such as anchovies and small shrimp, honey, and certain herbal ingredients.
What Makes Swiftlets Expensive?
Swiftlets are known as birds with high economic value due to their nests being used as food and medicine. One reason why swiftlets are highly valued is because they can only make their nests in certain places such as caves and buildings with specific environmental conditions.
In addition, swiftlets have a relatively short lifespan of around 4-5 years. This makes it difficult to raise swiftlets and makes them even more rare and expensive.
What is the Lifespan of a Swiftlet?
Swiftlets have a relatively short lifespan of around 4-5 years. However, swiftlets have a high reproductive rate, which helps to maintain their population stability.
The swiftlet bird usually begins to breed at around 2 years of age. The process of fertilization and egg incubation is done by both swiftlet parents. After hatching, the swiftlet chick is fed with saliva by its parents until it can fly and find food on its own.
Why is Swiftlet Saliva Expensive?
Swiftlet saliva is very expensive because of the specialized attention and high risks involved in its collection. Edible birdnest keepers have to climb dangerous places such as steep cliffs or dark and dangerous caves.
In addition, the collection of edible birdnests must be done very carefully to avoid damaging the nests or endangering the swiftlets themselves. This adds to the high risk of edible birdnest collection and ultimately affects the selling price of its saliva.
Is Edible Birdnest Halal?
Edible birdnests are a luxurious food item that is very expensive. In addition, edible birdnests are often the choice of consumption for people who want to maintain their health. However, many still wonder whether edible birdnests are halal for consumption by Muslims.
According to the Fatwa of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), edible birdnests are declared halal for consumption. This is based on the fact that edible birdnests are formed from swiftlet saliva and do not contain any haram elements.
What Does the Presence of Many Swiftlets Signify?
Swiftlets, besides being famous for their expensive nests, are also believed to bring signs for the owner of the house or the place where the edible birdnest is located. The presence of many swiftlets that come and nest in a place is believed to bring several signs, including:
A sign of good luck: The abundance of swiftlets that nest in a place is believed to bring good luck to the owner of the house or the place.
A sign of prosperity: The abundance of swiftlets that nest in a place is also believed to bring prosperity to the owner of the house or the place.
A sign of fertility: The presence of swiftlets is also believed to bring a sign of fertility to the owner of the house or the place.
Conclusion
After reading the above article, it can be concluded that swiftlets are one of the birds that have many benefits, especially in their nests which are considered as high-value food and medicinal ingredients. Edible birdnests have also been internationally recognized as a nutritious and healthy food item.
In addition, it is important to note that the edible birdnests produced must be ensured to be halal and clean. Therefore, reliable information and sources need to be sought to ensure that the edible birdnests consumed are truly halal and do not contain questionable ingredients.
The abundance of swiftlets that approach or build nests in a place can be a good or bad sign depending on local beliefs. However, it is important not to disturb or disrupt edible birdnests so that the swiftlet population is not disturbed.
If you are interested in learning more about swiftlets and the edible birdnest industry, you can explore further on the Pelatihan Walet platform. Here, you can learn about starting a edible birdnest business, identifying types of swiftlets, and how to properly care for edible birdnests.