Swift Search a Success
A nationwide plea for swift sightings resulted in data being gathered on a scale never seen before and revealed the critical role that Britain’s householders play in the future of this declining species.
Thousands of people reported the unmistakable screams of swifts around their roofs last summer to the RSPB, or told them where they were actually nesting. The RSPB wanted to develop a detailed ‘inventory’ of specific locations that swifts are using to raise their families so it can focus efforts to help the species.
Almost all swifts recorded were found nesting on buildings and over three quarters of them (77%), found nesting in houses. The results from the first year of data collection show that the swift strongholds are in older parts of our cities, towns and villages, although they will use new buildings too.
Swift numbers have declined significantly in recent years. It’s not yet clear why, but the RSPB think that many suffer as a result of the loss of nest sites through building improvement or demolition. The RSPB hope that a heightened awareness of the possibility of nesting swifts will mean that people will act to improve their homes without destroying those of the swift.
