Common swifts have declined by over 50% in the UK since 1995. Providing nest sites in urban buildings and reducing building renovation threats can reverse this decline.
Swift welfare in the UK is primarily threatened by habitat loss through building renovation without consideration of nesting wildlife. When a swift returns to find its nest site sealed, it may spend days circling the lost site before being forced to find an alternative. The welfare cost of losing lifetime nest sites, combined with the energetic demands of swift aerial life, makes nest site loss a genuine welfare concern. Planning protections and building design requirements offer systematic solutions that individual nest box provision alone cannot achieve.