About Bird Nests

The nests are about the size and hardness of teacups; are essentially made from hardened saliva mixed with feathers, grass and twigs; and look like congealed strands of vermicelli. The noodle-like fibers are used to bond nesting materials together and attach the nest to a vertical walls of caves or cliffs or hollow tree nesting sites.

There are two kinds of nests:

White nests made up mostly of saliva and black nests with plant materials and feathers mixed in. White nests are the most valuable. They are generally made by Bird Nests that nest deep inside the caves and are ideally collected before a female lays her eggs. Generally the whiter and purer a nest is the more tasty and valuable it is. Black nests are also collected. These nests can not be eaten until they have been properly cleaned.
The edible-Bird Nest often build their nest in the most inaccessible of places: on the roofs and upper walls of high caves and even overhangs. Other species build nests the in buildings and bridges and chimneys but not the edible-Bird Nest. Sometimes the eggs and young of edible-Bird Nests are placed in the nest of an other species, the uniform Bird Nest, which lives in buildings. There are some claims that a third of nest form Indonesia are taken from Bird Nests that have made their nests in buildings.

About Bird Nests

Making Bird Nests

To make a nest a Bird Nest moves its head back and forth like a weaving bobbin. David Attenborough wrote: “The bird starts by flying persistently in front of its chosen site and repeatedly dabbing the rock with its tongue, laying down a curved line of saliva which marks the lower edge of the nest-to-be. The saliva dries and hardens quickly and with repeated flights, the bird slowly builds up the low line into a low wall. As soon as this is big enough to cling to, the speed of construction accelerates and within a few days the wall has become a semicircular cup of creamy white interlacing string that is just big enough to hold the customary clutch of two eggs."
The Bird Nest are so small they don't have the strength to pick up nesting materials such as twigs and leaves from the ground like other birds. Instead they pick up pieces of feather, fragments of dried grass and other small things they find floating in the air and affix the to a surface their "sticky spittle." Nests near the entrance to the caves have large amounts of feathers. Those that are deeper inside are made primarily of spittle, and are thus more desirable. .
The swifts can take up two months to build a nest. Ideally the nest is collected after fledglings have take wing rather than before eggs of hatched. That way there are more birds o create nests. After the nests are harvested they are soaked in water ti soften them up and a magnifying glass is used to pick out loose impurities like twigs and feathers. After being steamed or boiled the nest separate into long chewy strands. About half the material in protein. What health benefits might be found in the nests are believed to be lost during the cleaning process.

Health Benefits of Bird Nest

According to ancient Chinese medical literature Ben Cao Gang Mu and Ben Cao Qiu Zhen, it is said that Bird Nest holds great medicinal properties which helps to enhance one’s health and is able to treat illnesses, especially those related to the lungs.
Top 10 Health Benefits of Bird Nest:
1. Helps to replenish the Yin Qi of the lungs, treats cough that was caused by the weakness of lungs and helps to decrease the probability of the having illness cause by a change in the Qi of the lungs. Especially those caused by the lack of Yin Qi of the lungs which include asthma, breathlessness, long-term cough, coughing of blood, bronchitis, abnormal perspiration and low fever.
2. Helps to treat vomiting, builds up the Qi of the stomach and stops the coldness of the stomach. Also helps to cure nausea and gurgling sound of the intestines which are caused by the lack of Yin Qi of the stomach.
3. Helps to replenish one’s Yin Qi which has been greatly reduced after a major illness like tuberculosis.
4. Helps to stop abnormal perspiration, improves one’s energy, frequent urination (polyuria) and urination in the night (nocturia).
5. Rejuvenation of the skin and decreases the occurrence of wrinkles.

6. Bird nest contains different types of amino acids which help to improve the intelligence and immunity of children.
7. The consumption of Bird Nest before and after pregnancy helps to stabilize the conditions and improve the health of the foetus.
8. Bird nest is a natural source of food which helps to replenish the Jin Ye (body fluids) in one’s body. Since Bird Nest contains a variety of amino acids, it can help in the recovery of different types of cancer. For example, esophageal cancer, throat cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer and colorectal cancer.
9. Helps to decrease the discomfort cause by side effects of chemotherapy and electrotherapy. For example, dryness and soreness of throat, constipation, hoarseness, swelling and nausea.
10. Bird Nest is high in nutritional value which serves as good health supplements for the general public.

Suitable Consumers

1. Pregnant ladies. Bird nest provides essential nutrients for both the mother and the foetus and help to improve their health. Other than improving the immunity and the intelligence of the baby, it also helps the mothers to regain their figure rapidly after pregnancy by improving the breaking down of fats.
2. Children who are growing up require a lot of nutrients for normal growth and Bird Nest helps to improve the immune system of the child and improve their intelligence.
3. Youth. Bird nest enhances all aspects of body functions, improve metabolism and immunity, regulate hormones level which helps to brighten and moisturize the skin.
4. Working adults and students. Bird nest helps to decrease tiredness, relief stress and improve one’s strength and energy, keeping them healthy and alert.
5. Senior citizens and people who have just recovered from sickness. People who are suffering from bronchitis, asthma and flu can consume Bird Nest regularly to help to improve their health conditions.