History of Swifts

Swifts once nested in ancient woodlands, building their homes in the crevices and cavities of veteran trees. As these old forests were gradually cleared and replaced by human settlements, the birds adapted by nesting alongside us instead. Traditional building methods left plenty of gaps and sheltered spaces, allowing swifts to tuck their nests into the nooks and crannies of roofs and walls.

Modern construction, however, is designed to be tightly sealed and highly insulated. While this is excellent for energy efficiency, it leaves far fewer spaces for wildlife to share our built environment.

These once common birds have been affected by a range of problems. This species has declined by at least 60% since 1995, leading to it being placed on the Red List.

• Nesting Habitat Loss: The loss or renovation of older buildings has led to a massive reduction in the availability of quality nesting sites. New builds also tend to be much more sealed than they were previously. 
• Reduction in Foraging: Swifts are insectivorous, feeding voraciously on flying insects. Unfortunately, the insects themselves are also suffering declines of 60% over the last 20 years. 
• Extreme, Unpredictable Weather: Our weather patterns are becoming less predictable. This, in turn, affects the insects they feed on and can disrupt the long migratory journey they embark on annually from Africa. 

Ecology of Swifts

Swifts are fascinating birds which spend their entire lives in flight, eating, mating and sleeping on the wing. They are designed for this lifestyle, possessing massive wings proportionate to the rest of their body. They are so large in fact that a swift cannot take off from the ground, which means if you find one on the ground, it very much needs your help!

Yearly, they travel thousands of miles from Africa, returning to where they were born to mate. Being monogamous, they pair and mate for life, choosing to nest in colonies, showing a strong preference for old buildings; here, they nest high up, often under the eaves. Their arrival on our shores from April onwards means they are often considered a herald of Summer.      

Did you know that the common swift is the fastest bird in level flight? They can reach speeds of up to 69mph, which is an incredible feat.

How to recognise a Swift

We have a few similar-looking species in the UK, but with a little bit of knowledge, they are easily differentiated. 

How you can help

There are several ways you can help our Bearwood Swifts, and best yet, some of them will cost you nothing at all! 

Become a Swift ally 

We are hoping to help inspire and enable the people of Bearwood to take action for our Swifts. There are many ways you can help and get involved. Perhaps most importantly, we need people to speak up for Swifts, inspiring friends, neighbours, and colleagues to consider them before they are lost from our landscape. So help us to spread the message, increasing the reach and impact of the project.

Renovating your home?

If you are having building work on your home, especially your roof, consider providing nesting habitat for Swifts. This can be done by the inclusion of swift bricks, the installation of swift boxes, or carefully ensuring cavities in your roof/soffits remain, giving these birds a home. Swift bricks and swift boxes are great as they provide this nesting habitat without allowing swifts into your property, which is certainly a barrier for some people. 

Swift Mapper - Become a Surveyor of Swifts 

Swift Mapper is a great free tool that helps track swift sightings, including screaming parties, nest locations, and even man-made boxes.
 As Swifts are colony nesters, the best place to put a swift box is near a currently used swift box, and from there the population can grow. 

Logging this swift data will help ensure the Bearwood Save Our Swift project can maximise its impact, that's a win for people and for nature! 

See the current swift sightings and boxes here:

https://www.swiftmapper.org.uk/

Are you a Scaffolder, Roofer, Cherry Picker Operator, Carpenter or in the Trades?

You would be surprised by how much impact you can have. We desperately need people like yourselves to get involved with this
 project. 

• Swifts prefer nesting high up, which makes nest box installation out of reach for most people. People like yourselves, who aren't scared of heights and have the knowledge and skills to install Swift boxes.
• Roofers &Scaffolders consider mentioning swift box installation to your clients. 
• Save your offcuts! Are you ever left with bits of timber too small to use but also too good to throw away? Why not donate them to the cause? We could use these pieces to make swift nest boxes. We want this project to be accessible to all, so low-cost, swift housing is a must! 
• Chippy with a passion for birds? Perhaps you could use your skills to create swift nest boxes?

Swift Awareness Week is an annual week of coordinated events, all with one aim: to help our swifts. It is usually held late June Early July.  

If you think your skillset could help us help these amazing birds, please do get in touch: [email protected]