Wildlife

Common Swift Colony Welfare

Common swifts spend almost their entire lives airborne. UK swift numbers have dropped by 60% since 1995, largely due to loss of nest sites.

Key Facts

Swifts sleep, mate, and even collect nesting material on the wing
They return to the same nest site year after year
A swift may fly over a million miles in its lifetime
Swifts cannot take off from flat ground
UK swift population declined from 85,000 pairs in 1995 to under 50,000

Welfare Considerations

Swifts face acute welfare challenges when nest sites are destroyed during building renovation. Eggs and chicks can be entombed or abandoned. Swifts that fall to the ground cannot take off and face starvation or predation. Loss of insect prey in agricultural landscapes means adults must travel further to feed, leaving chicks unfed for longer.

What You Can Do

Install swift nest bricks when renovating or building
Register swift colonies with local wildlife trusts
Check for swifts before starting building work May-August
Support insect-friendly gardening to increase prey
Report fallen swifts to local wildlife rehabilitators