‘Swifties’ nail 100,000 milestone

The Swift Mapper app, which was launched in 2020 to counter the massive decline in the number of native Swifts in the UK, allows members of the public to assist experts in tracking the distribution of nesting sites.

Developed by the company Natural Apptitude with advice from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and other conservation groups, it enables identification, recording and viewing of Swift colony locations and nest, sharing the findings with professional conservationists. This can better enable the protection and installation of further Swift nest boxes and so-called ‘Swift bricks’ on buildings across the country.

RSPB Swift species lead Laurinda Luffman commented: “We are delighted to have received over 100,000 Swift Mapper records from Swift enthusiasts across the UK. These records help us understand where colonies and nest sites need to be protected and where effective new nesting areas can be created. 

“Reaching this impressive milestone demonstrates how members of the public help inform important conservation efforts, bringing communities together to take targeted action for Swifts.”

Loss of suitable nest sites contributed to a two-thirds decline in the UK Swift population between 1995 and 2022. Locations are a crucial factor given that, on arrival in the UK from May onwards, the birds will have travelled more than 7,000 miles from Africa, during which time they will have eaten, slept, bathed and mated ‘on the wing’. 

Traditionally, the tiles and eaves in the roofs of human homes provided popular shelters for the monogamous species, which pairs for life, but modernisation and new builds have reduced available sites severely in recent decades.

It is hoped the abundance of new records will help support campaigns to introduce alternative sites and aid efforts to urge the Government to mandate use of Swift bricks in all new housing developments.