Swift numbers are continually in decline. This is in part because newly built properties do not provide the nesting areas that swifts have adapted to use, so their breeding rate has fallen. This has pushed them from the Birds of Conservation Concern amber list onto the red list. With swifts set to return to England in April after winter migration to Africa, Islington Now looks at how residents can help to protect the breed.
Install a nest box
Attaching a nest box to the eaves of your house can replicate the holes that swifts like to nest in. Once they find your box, swifts will return year after year. These boxes can also provide a home for other small birds.
Use swift bricks
Like nest boxes, swift bricks provide a safe home for returning swifts. The specially designed, hollow plastic bricks provide swifts a cosy space in which to nest. If your house is undergoing renovation work, why not think about creating a home for swifts at the same time?
Grow wildflowers
Residents can help swifts by turning their own private gardens into havens for wildlife. By growing wildflowers, you can suppor insect populations, and in doing so, create a food source for swifts on their return to the UK.
Use Swift Mapper
Swiftmapper is a website that helps people across the country track where swifts are appearing. The website tracks swifts’ nesting patterns, demonstrating where conservation action is needed and where new nesting sites should be created.
I am a freelance writer and journalism student at City, UoL, writing culture and sport.