Swifts, swallows and house martins are always a welcome sight when they begin to arrive in our country in April and May, a sign that summer is coming. However over the last 20 years the numbers of these three species are falling. What is the problem? How can we help them?
First, some facts Swifts are unrelated to swallows and house martins but they all spend winter in Africa and fly to Europe and the UK in the spring to nest and raise their young before returning to Africa. Ringing birds has shown that they may fly a round trip of 14,000 miles each year! Swifts are dark coloured, they spend almost their whole lives on the wing, sometimes screeching as they fly at speed in a flock above our towns and villages. Swallows and house martins have white patches and are often seen perching on wires. All three species mostly rely on buildings to provide their nest sites and they return to their nests year after year and young birds return to the area where they were reared. Swifts use feathers and whatever they find in the air to make their nests in roof spaces, holes and crevices in buildings, swallows build nests of mud up high inside an open porch, barn or shed while house martins prefer to make their saucer shaped mud nests under the eaves of houses. The birds are sociable and often nest in colonies.
Swallows are usually the first to return to this country in April, followed by house martins and both may raise 2 or 3 broods before returning to Africa. Swifts appear later, in early May and raise one brood of 2 to 3 chicks before they leave in early August.
The problem There are various reasons for the decline in the numbers of these birds including climate change and a reduction in insect numbers but one problem they have is the loss of old and suitable nesting sites. Over the years many old barns have been converted to homes and old houses have been renovated and the birds have lost their old nest sites. New houses lack the nooks and crannies that birds used in the old buildings.
Helping Swifts in the Woodbridge area. The RSPB, the British Trust for Ornithology, Action for Swifts, Swift Conservation and the Wildlife Trusts are bodies that are concerned about the plight of swifts, swallows and house martins nationally. In Woodbridge the local RSPB group have been specifically concerned about the fall in swift numbers and have been recording swift nest sites in roofs and nest boxes since 2015. There has been an enthusiastic response and they now know of around 30 nest sites. They are sure there are more to discover. It seems many people are thrilled to have these birds sharing their homes and look forward to their return. Nesting swifts cause no problems, they are quiet at the nests and cause no mess.
It was found that there were a good number of swifts seen and heard flying above Woodbridge and in the surrounding area and people reported seeing birds at nest sites. There was a report of swifts being seen trying in vain to find nest sites at a recently restored building but also news that where nest boxes had been installed they had immediately attracted birds.
This is a good time of year to do something to help before the swifts return
You can put up nest boxes. They need to be at least 4 metres off the ground, out of the sun and rain, with no other buildings or trees obstructing the birds’ flight path. Traditional swift nest boxes can be fitted to the north and east side of houses as high as possible under the eaves. However nest boxes with a white reflective roof are now available for the south and west sides which are most exposed to the sun. Church towers and public buildings can provide excellent nest sites. As they are sociable birds it is good to put up a number of boxes.
If you have swifts nesting in your building please leave them undisturbed. If you must do building work where they nest please wait until they have left or do it well before they arrive. Where building work is being carried out – new buildings, barn conversions, renovations or property maintenance – there is an excellent opportunity to both provide new nesting sites or safeguard existing ones. Special ‘swift bricks’ are available which can be fitted in to a wall as it is built or repaired.
Swifts can be attracted to new nest sites by playing swift calls during daylight hours in the summer months when the swifts are around. Respondents to the Woodbridge survey found this successful in drawing birds either to use the nests or to investigate them, possibly for next year’s nest sites. There is a range of sound systems available from simply playing a CD of swift calls out of a nearby open window to an automatic system with a timer and speakers on the nest box.
Information and Advice Please contact the RSPB Woodbridge Local Group if you would like to know more about how you can help swifts. The group has nest boxes and a range of sound systems for sale. Email woodbridge.swifts@gmail.com to report a nest site, to buy nest boxes and for information. See www.rspb.org.uk/groups/woodbridge for further information
Free information and advice is also available from
Action For Swifts email actionforswifts@gmail.com and www.actionforswifts.blogspot.com
Swift Conservation at www.swift-conservation.org.uk
RSPB at www.rspb.org.uk/helpswifts
British Trust for Ornithology www.bto.org
Suffolk Wildlife Trust at https://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/swifts
The RSPB and BTO can also give advice on providing nests for swallows and house martins.
Manthorpe Building Products after working with the RSPB, Action for Swifts and Barratt Homes are producing and selling a new and cost effective Swift Brick that can be readily fitted into new brick walls. The swift bricks is on sale for about £27 each making it possibly the cheapest integral swift nest brick.
Article by Carol Steptoe
Featured image from Wikipedia