A group of Sheffield volunteers are working to ensure the protection of endangered swifts as the summer nesting season approaches.
Sheffield Swift Network is a collection of local groups which monitors activity of the birds in the city, and works to raise awareness about protecting the species and importance of installing swift bricks and boxes for them to nest in.
Swifts were officially moved from the amber list to the red list in 2021, and the UK’s swift population has seen a decline of more than 57% since 1995.
As cavity nesting birds, the installation of UPVC boxed soffit and fascia boards on new houses has proliferated their decline.
Jan-Erik Bullett, who works with the network on its monitoring database and with the installation of swift boxes and bricks, said: “There’s a chance to do something about it, which is why its important. And if we do something about it, the decline could be changed.”
He added that some people’s lack of willingness to support nature is also a concern: “What happened to living alongside wild things, and having next boxes and bat boxes in the garden?”
Alongside another member, Mr Bullett estimates that “600 or 700” swift boxes have been installed in the Sheffield area over the last three years as a result of the group’s efforts, having a “really good effect”.
Further to this, the data gathered by their database – through which people around the city can input data about recent and nests for the new Sheffield Swift City Map – enables them to stay in contact with people who live in a houses with nests and stay “one step ahead” of any renovations, thus preventing damage.
A petition to mandate the installation of swift bricks in all new houses was debated in the House of Commons last year after reaching 100,000 signatures – although there has been no further movement to bring this into law.
Mr Bullett said: “Whether [or not] they do it – we can keep campaigning locally to get people to fit stuff and increase the number of nest spaces, and that’s what the people in the Swift Group will do.”
Find out more about the Sheffield Swift Network’s work and what you can do to help here.
