Wildlife

Common Swift Action Plan for Urban Recovery

Common swifts are in steep decline across the UK, losing nesting sites in modern buildings faster than conservation measures can compensate.

Key Facts

UK swift populations have declined by around 60% since 1995
Swifts nest almost exclusively in buildings, using holes under eaves or in walls
Modern buildings rarely have suitable swift nesting features
A single pair can use the same nest site for decades if undisturbed
Swifts spend 10 months of the year on the wing and only land to nest

Welfare Considerations

Loss of nest sites forces swifts to prospect widely for alternatives, expending energy and failing to breed. Pairs that cannot find nest sites may not breed for several years, reducing their lifetime reproductive success. Swift bricks and boxes can be incorporated at low cost into new buildings and retrofitted to existing structures.

What You Can Do

Install swift nest boxes or swift bricks on your property
Play swift call recordings to attract prospecting pairs to new boxes
Advocate for planning requirements mandating swift bricks in new buildings
Support RSPB and Swift Conservation in swift site recording
Report swift colony locations to the Swift Mapper database