The pallid swift nests almost exclusively on buildings across southern Europe and North Africa, making it highly dependent on the preservation of nest sites during urban renovation and development.
Pallid swift welfare is directly threatened by the loss of nest sites through building renovation. In southern European cities, large numbers of occupied swift nests are destroyed annually during summer building works, causing chick death and abandonment of traditional colony sites. Legal protection exists in many countries but enforcement is poor. Mandatory swift surveys before renovation permits are issued and installation of replacement nest bricks or boxes during building works would prevent most welfare impacts. Restoration of traditional plaster facades that swifts favour for nest cavities also supports colony retention.