 Take-Off! A
Swift leaves its nest box in Denmark - our fastest bird in level
flight! Photo
© Inger Lund
Unless we help them, Swifts will vanish from the UK. Find out here all
about these amazing birds, why they matter, and how you can help them.
Though Swifts only spend 3 or 4 months each Summer with us, while they are here they bring spectacular aerial action and excitement to our urban lives! Swifts breed from Ireland to Beijing, from the Mediterranean and the Middle East right up to the Arctic, but sad to say, everywhere they are in decline. But you can help them, and you can do it personally, all on your own, or with the help of a few friends and neighbours, and if you can do D I Y, it will cost you very little indeed. Read on!
|
They're comimg back! Our Swifts are leaving Central Africa now to come back to the UK and Europe to find their old nest places, their partners and to breed. They have started their return flight. They have moved from the Congo to Angola, and from there they will fly for days across the sea to Liberia, where they will feed up for a week or more then take flight right across the Sahara for three or four days, to feed up again over Morocco. From Morocco they will fly non-stop to the UK. They can do this last lap in an incredible two days.
Swifts have shared our buildings ever since the Romans came to Britain. They still breed in our eaves and gables, but won't be for much longer, as modern and renovated buildings exclude them. Tragically, we have lost over half of our Swifts in just the past 25 years. Use the Search Box above or study the Contents Page
|
|
Architects, Developers & Builders
are you working at a Swift nest site? Follow this guidance 1. Leave existing nest places undisturbed 2. If re-roofing, make new nest access holes to match the old ones exactly 3. New build - internal nest spaces are the best 4. If you cannot do "3 " above, fit external nest boxes Installing Swift Nest Boxes? See
our Shopping Page
or
|
Online talks - Book one now!
Reduced fees and no travel expenses: Enquiries - Click on the Swift!  Below you will see our public talks programme: Click on the underlined links to book your place 20 April Lewes Swift Supporters 7.00pm ZOOM on-line talk 22 April Wren Wildlife Group 7.30pm ZOOM on-line talk 26 April Bradford-on-Avon 7.30pm ZOOM on-line talk 27 April Bird-Life Malta 5.30pm UK time ZOOM on-line talk 4 May Birdwatch Ireland 8pm ZOOM on-line talk 19 May Gibraltar Ornithological Society - ZOOM on-line talk 5 June Bird-Life Malta 6pm UK time ZOOM on-line talk 15 July Grant Arms Hotel Speyside 7pm tbc A real LIVE talk! 29 July Sheffield & Rotherham SRWT 7pm ZOOM on-line talk See our recent Swifts Talk on You Tube - Click here See our interview with The Urban Birder - Click here Download ZOOM metings software free here Supporting & Enhancing Urban Biodiversity We provide training for professionals in practical Urban Biodiversity techniques contact Swift Conservation for more details Swift Surveys - Click on the logos to participate How to Survey Swifts - download our leaflet here  Add your Swift sightings to BirdTrackand see migration in action! Use the new RSPB Swift Mapper App!  Download hereSupport the BTO's  By participating in the BTO Breeding Bird Survey you contribute to our knowledge of Swifts in the UK |
We have been providing free
advice on how to help Swifts since 2003
Swift Conservation is grateful to 
for its support
swift-conservation.org
name site texts © copyright Edward Mayer 2021 Photographs &
illustrations © copyright as indicated
This is a "cookie" - free website - we do not infringe your privacy