How you can help save the UK’s common swift
During drab and dreary winter days the warmth of a summer’s evening can feel some distance away, it seeming unfathomable that sunshine will once again beat down upon our gardens during hours winter dictates to be darkness. Much the same can be said about those responsible for the soundscape that forms a critical ingredient of the majesty that is a calm, summer’s evening. However, there are some unmistakable mystical voices providing the melody of our alfresco summer existence that are every inch as far away as summer feels to our winter existence. We are, of course, referring to the majestic scream produced by the common swift, a bird that for many months of the year will be in sub-Saharan Africa, feasting on the glut of flying insects on offer, enjoying their very own safari from on high.
Arriving in the UK within the last weeks of April or early May, swifts stay only long enough to breed, their return migration beginning in late July or early August. The onset of the migration is believed to be triggered by the lack of insects high in the air. Few swifts are left in September.
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| Swift in flight |
masters of the air. Having fledged their nest in the UK, within days setting off to Africa, a swift will not touch down again until it reaches breeding maturity, thought to be 3-4 years of age. They can shift too, with swifts thought to be one of the fastest birds in level flight, studies suggesting they can push up to nearly 70mph.
Where breeding is concerned, swifts pair for life. With pair bonds, having been formed at circa one year of age, these birds meet at the same nest site each spring. Unfortunately, this is where recently in the UK the story takes on a more sombre note.
Swifts nest high up in the roof space under the eaves of houses and other buildings where the birds are able to drop into the air from the nest entrance. Inside these small entrances, the soft furnishings are made of any material that can be gathered on the wing, including feathers, paper, straw, hay and seeds. Sadly, as our homes are renovated, old buildings demolished and eaves blocked, swifts find themselves shut out of the nooks and crannies within which they nest. Indeed, a swift tired from its migration from Africa is likely to abort nesting upon discovering its annual home is no longer accessible.
Combined with this, the worrying loss of insects through habitat loss, pesticide use and other factors may well be impacting their flying prey, making it harder to find enough food to breed successfully. These factors have led to a 58% decline in their UK population from 1969 to 2018, putting swifts on the Red List of species threatened with extinction.
Without the food and nest sites they need to successfully raise chicks, swifts are likely to keep declining. However, salvation is within our hands and there are some simple actions we can take to help them, namely providing nest sites and nourishment for our feathered friends.
Where nest sites are concerned, if swifts and other birds are nesting in perfect little crevices within your homes, be honoured that you are helping a species in critical danger and allow them to continue enjoying this invaluable nest site. Alternatively, if your eaves are not bird friendly, why not purchase a swift nest box or three? You can even retrofit swift bricks into your home. Swifts are happy in colonies, indeed one nesting swift calling will likely encourage others to look inquisitively and occupy further next boxes.
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| Swift boxes should be placed high under the eaves of a house |
ideally around at least 5m clearance from the ground. Similarly, the entrance route should be free of obstacles with a clear flight path. Optimum places are under deep eaves, on gables and on high walls in some shade. Don’t be disheartened if swifts don’t move straight in; given their loyalty to existing nest sites and time to reach breeding maturity, time can vary where new tenants are concerned.
In terms of nourishment, you can garden with swifts in mind (and a whole host of other wildlife, too!) by boosting insect populations. Our gardens could be a critical factor in battling the decline in biodiversity in the UK and measures including stopping pesticide use, planting hedgerow, wildflowers, bee loving perennials or even creating a wildlife pond would all not only boost your garden’s wildlife, providing food and shelter for insects, but also add colour and year-round enjoyment as you view nature through the seasons. Why not participate in ‘no mow May’ and see what wonderful wildflowers may be hiding within your lawn? Better still, maybe hand over your lawn to wildlife and manage it as a meadow; it will reward not only the wildlife but you too.
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| Wildlife friendly gardens can not only play a vital role in boosting biodiversity, but we can enjoy them too! |
Put simply, by providing Swifts with a home and boosting the insect life within your garden, you could play a vital role in ensuring the hubbub of warm summer evenings is safeguarded for future generations.
