The Swift Project

Swifts are remarkable birds, spending almost their entire lives in the air. They eat, drink, mate, and even sleep on the wing, only landing to nest. Each spring, they migrate from Africa to the UK to breed, with pairs returning to the same nesting sites year after year. However, swift numbers have been in steep decline, over 62% in the last 25 years. This is largely due to the decline in insect numbers reducing food opportunities, as well as habitat loss. One of the main causes is modern building practices—older buildings with gaps and crevices provided ideal nesting spots, but as homes are renovated and new buildings are constructed with sealed exteriors, swifts are left with fewer places to breed.

In Wiveliscombe, a shortage of suitable nesting sites has become clear. Two separate pairs of swifts have been recorded using the same nest location at different times in the season—one pair arriving early and another later. Unfortunately, this means the second pair’s brood is likely to fail, highlighting the urgent need for more nesting opportunities.

To tackle this issue, Wild Wivey launched the Wivey Swift Project in late winter 2024. With fantastic support from the local community, including members of the Wivey Bird Group and skilled craftspeople from Wiveliscombe Joinery, 25 swift nest boxes were built and installed around the town.

Swifts typically start using swift boxes when they reach breeding age, around three to four years old. Younger swifts (under three) spend their time in constant flight, only landing when they are ready to nest. When looking for a nesting site, they are often attracted to existing swift colonies. Once a swift finds a suitable box, it is likely to return to the same site year after year.

The aim of these boxes was to support the existing colony of Swifts known to use the brewery site, and as such, were placed on surrounding properties, including sites on the brewery, Silver Street, Golden Hill, Style Road, and Burgess Lane.

The project is already making an impact, providing potential future nesting sites for swifts that have successfully fledged nests from our town, and work is underway to expand it out further into Wivey. With more nest boxes planned, the hope is to provide enough suitable nesting spots to help secure the future of Wivey’s swifts. 

If you’d like to get involved or learn more, keep an eye out for updates from Wild Wivey, or email Rich at rich.lawrence29@gmail.com.