Swift Streets

Urgent action is needed for swifts, as Hampshire Swifts reports: 

These beautiful and charismatic birds have declined across Hampshire and the UK by more than 50% over the past 23 years.

In fact, since 1993 they have declined by 60% across the UK and by 70% here in the south of England.

Swifts nest in our buildings, flying fast and straight to post themselves through small slots, into cavities in houses, behind roof tiles, eaves, fascia boards and soffits. Renovations and improved insulation measures (no bad things in themselves) can, often unwittingly, mean that nest sites are blocked or lost.

Swifts pair for life and are ‘site-faithful’, so if a building has been demolished, renovated, or the gap obstructed or repaired, they must find somewhere new and quickly. Swifts are only here for around three months, two of which are spent raising chicks - so if an alternative site can’t be found fast, a whole breeding season will be skipped.

That’s where we can change things. By erecting swift boxes on our houses we can offer alternative nesting sites and hopefully grow the Petersfield population of swifts.

Inspired by a Penns Road resident, this new PeCAN project hopes to help Petersfield cultivate a bigger scream of swifts (the collective term), heading to Africa for the winter and returning in April and May, to grace the sky over our town for years to come. With small neighbourhood groups taking action across the whole of Petersfield we could become a model within the National Park, for creating Swift Streets.

In April we hosted an oversubscribed and inspiring talk on swifts from Hampshire Swifts representative Catharine Gale, and we hope to repeat the event later this year. That same week, 21 swift boxes were installed in the Penns Road area, just a day before the first swifts were spotted in Petersfield! 30 swift boxes have also recently been installed in Buriton.

Read more about swifts on the Hampshire Swifts website, and listen to a podcast here.

 

Would you like to see more swifts in Petersfield? Then why not put up a swift box!

 

A note about siting requirements:

Swift boxes need to be fixed high up under the eaves of a building that is at least two storeys high. They need a clear drop below them of at least 4.5 metres as swifts often drop down a long way when leaving the box. For this reason, bungalows are rarely suitable for swift boxes. Due to their very short legs, swifts are unable to perch so must have ample clear air space adjacent to the box in order to fly straight in and out without obstruction. Trees, large shrubs, walls or fences too close to the swift box can obstruct their flight path.   Climbing plants on a house wall can give rats access to swift boxes and obstruct the swifts' flight path so if they cover much of a wall, especially near the eaves, that wall might be unsuitable for a swift box.

To register your interest and receive more information please fill out the form below.  We will share your enquiry with Hampshire Swifts who will check that your property is suitable and get back to you directly with installation arrangements.

The swift boxes are made and installed by the charity, with a single box costing £40 and a double box £75.