At first glance, these avian athletes can look very similar, but there are some key differences between them. Have a read of our handy ID guide and soon you’ll know your Swifts from your Swallows.
Their screaming call is one of the most evocative sounds of summer. But in some places their calls have fallen silent. Sadly, Swifts are on the Red List of conservation concern, declining by 62% between 1995 and 2021.
We don’t have the full picture about why Swift populations are crashing, but we think lack of nest sites may be partly the cause. That’s why we’ve been working with other Swift experts to design the ‘Swift brick, a special brick with a cavity for Swifts to raise their chicks in.
We’re also helping Swifts by carrying out research, supporting people to take action in their community and asking people to log local sightings on Swift Mapper, so we can help protect existing nest sites.
Set up a nest box to give summer-visiting Swifts a place to nest and breed year after year.
You could see Swifts flying high in the sky over most habitats, as they search for small invertebrates to eat and to feed to their chicks. Nesting Swifts zoom around buildings at roof level.
Look out for nesting Swifts near you and record them on the Swift Mapper
Swifts are masters of the air and spend almost their entire lives in flight – eating, drinking, sleeping and even mating on the wing. They usually only land when it’s time to nest, so you’ll never see them perched on overhead wires like Swallows. Groups of Swifts can often be seen flying around rooftops at high speed.
Swifts migrate to the UK from Africa each year, and only spend a few months with us while their raise their chicks. Swifts begin arriving from late April, with most arriving in May. They then head back to Africa from early August onwards
After a long flight back from their summer in Africa, Swifts have one thing on their minds – to mate. Swifts pair for life, returning to the same site each year for a little nest renovation before laying and incubating their eggs.
They like to live 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. This, in part, resulted in Swifts being added to the red list in the 2021 UK Conservation Status Report.
During its lifetime, a Swift can fly around two million miles – that’s equivalent to more than four trips to the Moon and back!