Supporting Swifts on Swift Awareness Week and beyond
Swift Awareness Week takes place annually from 29 June to 7July. It raises awareness about the swift, a small bird that migrates from Africa to the UK, arriving in early May to land and nest.
Swifts spend almost all of their life on the wing, eating, sleeping and mating, it is important we provide safe and secure habitat for them to raise their young.
Sadly, Swifts are now on The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List due to their declining numbers. The reasons behind this are complex with loss of nesting sites, decline in insects as their food source, and the changing climate being identified as some of the challenges these tiny birds have faced.
Here at Climate Action North, we help Swifts through our “Project Swift” programme installing Swift boxes in business and retail parks along with raising awareness and supporting this species through affiliation with Swift Conservation, who provide us with support, assistance with nesting boxes, advice, and merchandise.
Edward Mayer of Swift Conservation appeared as our first guest on our Youtube series “Let’s Talk Nature & Climate” and more recently also conducted an interview for Swift Awareness Week which can be viewed here.
As part of our Climate Action North Book Wilding series we also feature the book “Swifts and Us” written by Sarah Gibson. It tells the fascinating story of discovery, exploring what is known about these mysterious birds, their ancient ancestry, and how they have been regarded through history.
Sarah writes: “For five years, I have immersed myself in the swift’s world. The more I watch and learn about their behaviour, the more intense is my wonder and excitement at their lives. Their unique ability to live almost entirely in the air, to find sustenance, rest and even nesting materials on the wing, to fly across the world, navigating their way around storms and depressions, never lighting on tree, cliff or ground, then back to the hole in every building that their sharp-clawed feet shuffled around the previous year – these are mind-blowing skills.”
Sarah also writes in her book: “The brevity of the Swift’s summer stays enhances their hold on our hearts. The season is short, their bold, wild chases over the roofs and high-pitched screams a fleeting experience; they are a metaphor for life itself. We need to act now to ensure these birds will scythe across our skies forever; to keep them in our streets, to keep them in abundance and “common”. All of us can do something within the compass of our lives to help tilt the balance back in their favour. If the will to do it is there, it can be done.”
Sarah’s book “Swifts and Us” is available from the Climate Action North Bookshelf here, sponsored by Drake the Bookshop.
CEO of Climate Action North and Project Swift Lead, Sharon Lashley, said: “Swifts spend only three months of the year in Britain, arriving in early May and leaving in early August.
“Because they are totally dependent on airborne prey, they are susceptible to bad weather during their long migrations as well as the breeding season. This makes them a bird very much affected by the changing climate and therefore a species wholly supported by us here at Climate Action North. We will do all we can to help them, including providing nest boxes to businesses, and educating everyone about the importance of supporting these very precious birds. Our Project Swift really is a project we are determined to take forward during Swift Awareness Week and beyond.”
To get involved in Project Swift or become a sponsor, email info@climateactionnortheast.org.uk
The time for talking is over, today we need to act.
Photo Credit: Enviro UK Consultants Ltd.