Swiftlet houses for farming bird nests

Traditionally birds nests have been harvested from caves in Southeast Asia. The edible nests are produced by swiftlets (Aerodramus spp.).

In the past decade or so, bird houses or swiflet farms have been popping up all over, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Some of these are in old houses and buildings which have been adapted.
This was one of the first houses I saw in Malaysia, just outside of Ipoh, in 2004

Then I realised there were a couple of adapted places in Brickfields in KL

and the same block shop houses, but at the opposite end, where the top floor has been converted behind the Sri Kota supermarket (2007)

This one is in Ipoh, again the top floor has been converted

This one is in Sandakan in Sabah, 2007

In towns it is easy to know when you are near a swiftlet house due to the loud recordings of the bird calls, played constantly.

These photos were taken in Kpg Koh near Sitiawan in Perak in 2011. Sitiawan was one of the first towns to start swiftlet farming in a big way.

Many of these buildings are bird houses and they are protected by barbed wire and other 'obstacles'.

Other bird houses are in purpose built structures. These are particulary noticable in rural areas, usually a huge concrete building with no windows.

This is at Linggi in Negeri Sembilan

This was one of the first I saw, 2002, it is Java, Indonesia

This one is near Betong in Pahang

This house in Papan in Perak is under construction. It is totally out of character of the old houses in Papan and will probably be an eye sore

See more on my website.

© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission