Swift Project

This diminutive, dusky bird arrives back from wintering in Africa to breed in the UK. They are an incredible animal that feeds, sleeps and even mates on the wing in flight and are some of the fastest birds in the skies.

Last June we led a walk across St Aldhelm’s Mead at dusk and were treated to a spectacular acrobatic display of swifts zooming overhead and listening to their characteristic cries. It’s really something you must experience if you live locally.

Yet despite Malmesbury being blessed with a healthy population of Swifts they are on the UK conservation Red List due to their declining numbers nationally.

Swifts pair for life and return to the same nest site each year. They often nest in houses and churches, squeezing through tiny gaps to nest inside roofs. But as more old buildings are renovated and gaps in soffits closed up, Swift nest sites are fast disappearing. Insect numbers have also declined, leaving them with less food to feed themselves and raise young.

We are proud to host so many Swifts in Malmesbury and want to take steps to ensure we maintain a healthy population into the future.