Morphology Characteristics of Swiftlet’s Nest Natural Habitats (Cave) in Gunong Pungki Tadu Raya the District Nagan Raya

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:Swiftlet (Aerodramus sp) is a bird that is very unique, because this bird has a habit of foraging by way of darting in the air to catch small insects. In addition, this bird is also a bird that is aerial and like gliding. The bird's nest is recognized as a health food source of the prestigious and winning (Mei Yang., Sau-Ha Cheung, Sze Chun Li., and Hon-Yeung, 2014). 90% of people use the Chinese a bird nest in their cooking Swallow nest is made from the saliva of swallow. Swiftlets nest are beneficial to health and delicacy in nature with high nutrient content (Marcone, 2005; Olsen, P. S., Poulsen, S. S., Kirkegaard, P., and Nexo, E. 1984).Protein contained in the swiftlet's nest is 62 -63% and carbohydrates is it 25,26% and 27,26% (Oda, M., Ohta, S., Suga, T and Aoki, T. 1998). In addition, swiftlets nest can inhibit influenza virus infection, accelerate the recovery of the disease, stimulating the appetite, aid digestion strengthens the lungs and boost immunity (Guo, C. T., Takahashi, T., Bukawa, W., Takahashi, N., Yagi, H., Kato, K., Hidari, K. J., Miyamoto, D., Suzuki, T., and Suzuki, Y. 2006; Mei Yang, 2014).Swiftlets usually live in cave especially dark ones. Swiftlet are capable of detecting nest (echolocation) in the dark similar to bats. Swiftlet nest breeding in the cave, by utilizing the cave walls, ceilings are curved and have small bumps found on cave walls to make a nest. Swiftlet excretes a gelatinous secretion which is located under the tongue which serves to bind the materials to make nests that are often referred to as a nest cement (R,. Suriya and Zakaria, Zunita and Yusoff, Rosnina and A., Fadzillah and Hassan, Latiffah, 2004).Gunong Pungki is one of the mountains in the Tadu Raya district of Nagan Raya. In Gunong Pungki region, there is a cave inhabited by the swiftlets, which is managed by the local community. The cave has been a natural habitat to swiftlet for a long time, but the people were not aware of its benefits of the swiftlets nest.The swiftlets nest cave natural habitat occupied swiftlet Gunong Pungki region, has its own morphology characteristics based on its place. This is what researchers want to examine to determine the characteristics of the surface morphology and the outer surface of the cave in Gunong Pungki. Moreover, the presence of this study are expected to be able to know the people around the cave caves morphological characteristics and also the benefit of bird nest that is in the cave.MATERIAL AND MENTHODS:This study was conducted between May 2014 to June 2014. The research activities carried out in the Gunong Pungki Tadu Raya District Nagan Raya were shown in the Figure-i.The tools used in this study are digital cameras, notebooks, polpen. The materials used in this study is the birds' nest caves, plants and animals that exist around the cave.The method used in this study is a survey method that is divided into two phases: pre -survey and survey stage. Pre-stage survey was conducted to observe the initial location around Cave a natural swiftlets nest. Phase survey was conducted to collect the data needed to record the types of plants, animals that are around the cave, the morphology characteristics of the surface and the outer surface morphology cave in Gunong Pungki Tadu Rata District of Nagan Raya.Technique for Getting Samples:The swiftlets nest cave divided into 2 places of observation, namely the upper / outer cave swiftlet nest and the inner surface of bird's nest cave. Retrieval of research data on the upper surface of the cave swiftlet nests made by observing the types of plants and animals on cave swiftlet nests. On the outer surface of the cave also observed the surface morphology on the ground lining the cave. The surface of the cave was directly observed. Observation of the dark cave lit by torchlight, and the cave ceiling was observed using a bamboo ladder.Technique for Collecting Data:Collecting data with field observation and recording. …