Skip to content

Swift-watching volunteers sought across region

Chloe Hughes
BBC News, West Midlands
Simon Evans A man and a woman are standing next to another man, looking t a box he is holding. The box is wooden and made for swifts, with a small hole in the corner. He is wearing a red hard hat and there is a ladder leaning onto the side of a houseSimon Evans
Volunteers count the birds, as well as arrange where swift boxes can be installed

The RSPB is encouraging people to sign up to be West Midlands Swift Champions, to help record species numbers and ensure they have places to nest.

It comes as the number of swifts has declined by more than 60% in the last 25 years, the charity says.

Volunteers who join the project will conduct swift surveys, engage with communities, attend events and respond to planning applications to see where nesting sites could be implemented.

"That's particularly happening in the West Midlands Combined Authority area - so Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull and Coventry," said Jamie Murphy, senior conservation officer.

But more volunteers are needed.

Mr Murphy said the charity understood there were places in the West Midlands where swifts were no longer seen.

"We're talking to people who have lived in the area for a long time, and they say 'I remember hearing swifts all the time when I was growing up, but I don't really hear that many anymore'," he explained.

Andrew Fusek Peters A brown swift is dropping and flying from a brown nest box attached to a house. The box has a hole in it. The bird has its wings outstretchedAndrew Fusek Peters
Swifts usually live in urban areas

The charity believes part of the decline could be down to fewer suitable nesting sites in buildings, and a decline in flying insects.

"They're urban nesting birds, so they can nest in buildings in towns and cities anywhere, provided that there's the right places for them to nest within them," said Mr Murphy.

"They're relying upon the built environment now to find their nesting opportunities, so we can coexist with swifts if we provide the opportunities for them in those places."

Ben Andrew A brown swift flying through a blue cloudless sky. It has a white flash on its face and a forked tailBen Andrew
Swifts have been declining over the last two decades

"There's been local clusters of people coming together to put swift boxes up, to install more boxes on their road - so I've been out to a couple of communities this week who have run swift walks... one in Walsall, one in Solihull," said Mr Murphy.

"You can see in those places that the swifts are starting to show an interest in those nesting opportunities and hopefully that will cause the population to increase."

There are several swift groups across the region, including Shropshire Swifts, Ledbury Swift Group in Herefordshire, Swifts of Leek in Staffordshire, and Swifts B30 in the south Birmingham area.

Carol Wood, from Shropshire Swifts, said: "We started up these swift groups in a lot of the little towns in Shropshire."

"What we want to do is look for nest sites.

"We like to record the nests so that if somebody comes along and wants to do a huge development we can mitigate, by either putting boxes or bricks up."

Swift-watch walks across the region

  • Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire: Shipston Action for Swifts is hosting a swift-watching walk around the town on Saturday between 19:30 and 21:45 BST.
  • Ford, Shropshire: Led by Carol Wood of Shropshire Swifts, meeting at Ford Village hall, 20:00 BST to dusk.
  • Worcester: Led by the RSPB in Fort Royal Park, starting at 19:00 BST on 9 July.
  • Hanwood, Shropshire: Led by Carol Wood of Shropshire Swifts, 20:00 BST to dusk in Caradoc View
  • St John's, Worcester: Held in the Happy Land area of St John's, Friday 18 July, meeting outside The Brewers pub.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

More on this story
Related internet links