Editing Indian swiftlet

{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=February 2023}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = CollocaliaUnicolor.svg
| name = Indian swiftlet
| status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref>{{cite iucn|title=''Aerodramus unicolor''|author=BirdLife International|year=2016|page=e.T22686516A93115618|doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22686516A93115618.en|access-date=17 February 2023}}</ref>
| taxon = Aerodramus unicolor
| authority = ([[Thomas C. Jerdon|Jerdon]], 1840)
| synonyms = *''Collocalia unicolor'' <small>(Jerdon, 1840)</small>
*''Hirundo unicolor'' <small>Jerdon, 1840</small>
| synonyms_ref = <ref>{{GBIF|taxon=''Aerodramus unicolor'' (Jerdon, 1840)|id=2477226|access-date=17 February 2023}}</ref>
}}

The '''Indian Swiftlet''' or '''Indian Edible-Nest Swiftlet'''  ('''''Aerodramus unicolor''''') is a small [[Swift (bird)|swift]]. It is a common resident [[Bird colony|colonial]] breeder in the hills of [[Sri Lanka]] and south west [[India]].

The half-cup nest is built on a vertical surface, often in a cave. The male swift uses thick saliva to construct the white, shiny nest into which two eggs are laid.

The relatively tasteless nests are harvested, and mixed with chicken, spices, and other flavours as [[bird's nest soup]], a supposed aphrodisiac.

This 12&nbsp;cm long species is mainly dark brown above and paler brown below. It has swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a [[boomerang]]. The body is slender, and the tail is short and only slightly indented.

Both sexes and young birds are similar. The Indian swiftlet has very short legs which it uses only for clinging to vertical surfaces, since swifts never settle voluntarily on the ground.

These swifts spend most of their lives in the air, living on the insects they catch in their bills, and they drink on the wing.

[[File:Indian Swiftlet in Thattekad, Kerala, India.jpg|thumb|left|Indian Swiftlet in Thattekad, Kerala, India]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, ''Birds of India''   {{ISBN|0-691-04910-6}}
*Chantler, Paul and Driessens, Gerald, ''Swifts'' {{ISBN|1-873403-83-6}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1266290}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Birds of India]]
[[Category:Birds of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Aerodramus]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1840]]