Crossword clues for swiftlet
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Swiftlet \Swift"let\, n. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of small East Indian and Asiatic swifts of the genus Collocalia. Some of the species are noted for furnishing the edible bird's nest. See Illust. under Edible.
Wiktionary
n. Any of various tropical and subtropical birds of the four genus ''Aerodramus'', ''Hydrochous'', ''Schoutedenapus'', and ''Collocalia'' in the swift family, many of which can navigate in darkness using echolocation.
WordNet
n. swift of eastern Asia; produces the edible bird's nest [syn: Collocalia inexpectata]
Wikipedia
Swiftlets are birds contained within the four genera Aerodramus, Hydrochous, Schoutedenapus and Collocalia. They form the Collocaliini tribe within the swift family Apodidae. The group contains around thirty species mostly confined to southern Asia, south Pacific islands, and northeastern Australia, all within the tropical and subtropical regions. They are in many respects typical members of the Apodidae, having narrow wings for fast flight, with a wide gape and small reduced beak surrounded by bristles for catching insects in flight. What distinguishes many but not all species from other swifts and indeed almost all other birds is their ability to use a simple but effective form of echolocation to navigate in total darkness through the chasms and shafts of the caves where they roost at night and breed. The nests of some species are built entirely from threads of their saliva, and are collected for the famous Chinese delicacy bird's nest soup.
Usage examples of "swiftlet".
The flounces of mangroves, the sparse, grassy epaulettes on the shoulders of the hills the fragrant forest, the dim jungle, the piled up rocks, the caves where the rare swiftlet hatches out her young in gloom and silence in nests of gluten and moss--all are mine to gloat over.
Since the dates mentioned it has been ascertained by personal observation that the breeding season of the swiftlet extends over four months, during which probably four young are reared, each clutch being single.
The birds that do it are the oilbirds of South America, and the cave swiftlets of the Far East, the ones whose nests are used for birds' nest soup.