Wildlife

Wild Swift Conservation and Nesting Welfare

Common swifts rely almost entirely on human buildings for nesting. Renovation without nest provision causes colony collapse welfare harm to this declining species.

Key Facts

Swifts spend almost their entire lives airborne except when nesting
UK swift populations have declined by 58% since 1995 primarily due to building renovation nest site loss
Swift bricks and boxes installed during renovation provide equivalent nesting to original spaces
Swifts return to the same nesting sites for decades - site loss eliminates entire colony lineages
Planning requirements for swift bricks on new developments are being adopted by increasing numbers of local authorities

Welfare Considerations

Swift nesting site welfare is determined almost entirely by human building decisions. Renovation without attention to swift welfare causes colony collapse that eliminates birds that have used the same site for decades. The solution - swift bricks installed during renovation - costs a fraction of total renovation expenditure while providing permanent nesting welfare for this declining species.

What You Can Do

Install swift bricks or boxes during any renovation of buildings with known or potential swift nesting
Advocate for local authority planning requirements for swift bricks on new and renovated buildings
Report swift nest sites before any building work to trigger welfare consideration in planning
Support RSPB and Swift Conservation swift monitoring and nest site protection programs