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'Bird's nest soup' - a Chinese delicacy famed for its health benefits - is among the most expensive foods in the world. First class swiftlet nests, constructed from fine threads of the birds' saliva, can be sold for up to $4,000 per kilo. For centuries, Chinese merchants visited Palawan to barter with the indigenous Tagbanuas. They travelled on junk ships trading sea cucumbers and birds’ nests for brass gongs and ceramics. The swiftlets build their nests in high caves on remote, uninhabited islands, far away from any disturbance. Harvesting the nests is risky - the climbers spend many hours on perilous cliff faces and inside cave complexes.
Arthur Cavalda, nest gatherer.
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