On 7th May 2024 30 people came to Malmesbury Town Hall to hear about Swifts from Sarah Roberts of North Wiltshire Swifts.
Sarah has been involved in bird conservation for over a decade and started North Wiltshire Swifts in 2019 as a specialist project and advice group. Their aim is to preserve and boost existing swift populations in Wiltshire through nest box projects and support others to do so.
As we walked into the Town Hall we were greeted by about five Swifts flying high above us – newly returned to the town.
Sarah gave a really informative and entertaining talk about the ecology of this charismatic bird, how to install Swift boxes and campaign for all new-build homes to have Swift bricks incorporated from the start.
A staggering half of swifts have been lost since 1995 yet the causes are not well known. Suspected causes are climate change (more erratic weather affecting migration and nesting); global declines in insect abundance that have reduced their food source; and loss of nest sites as houses are retrofitted and nest cavities filled in, and old growth veteran trees are lost from our landscapes, reducing natural nesting sites.
However, there is still much we can do to support Malmsbury’s Swifts.
The practical advice, hints and tips that Sarah had to offer on how to carry out a survey and ways to attract the birds to Swift boxes once they are installed will be hugely valuable as we launch our survey in Malmesbury.
She explained that Swifts often arrive in waves, with established breeders arriving earliest in May to return to existing nest sites. Swifts have high site fidelity and will return to the same nest year after year.
Younger individuals that have not yet bred may then arrive in June/July, searching for new nest sites. This is an excellent opportunity to provide new nesting sites, and you can attract Swifts by playing Swifts calls from inside or close to the nest, which should attract their attention.
It may take a few years for a new Swift site to be noticed and occupied, so it is worth persevering.
There are several useful places to find out more about Swifts, including: different types of nest boxes, ideal locations and how to install them; guidance on Swifts and buildings/development; surveying for Swifts, and wildlife law:
We will also use Swift Awareness Week 29th June – 7th July to further promote and support these fantastic birds in our town.
