homes for swifts

Find out what you can do to reverse the decline in swift nesting sites below!

Provide swifts with nesting spaces

You can help reverse the decline in nesting spaces for swifts by fitting swift boxes or swift bricks in your home. This section gives you information on how to tell if your home is suitable and the range of options out there.

is my home suitable?

Swifts need their boxes or bricks to be at least 5 metres high off the ground.

The box needs to be placed on a north to north-easterly wall. South facing walls get too hot and west facing walls tend to be too exposed to weather.

The box needs a clear flight path for swifts to swoop in and out

Ideally it is good practise to tuck swift boxes under eaves, as this stops anything landing on top of them. However if the swift box has a sloped roof this isn't always necessary.

Sheffield Swift Network has a really good webpage explaining everything you need to know about fitting a swift brick.

swift bricks

Swift bricks are the gold standard when providing breeding sites for swifts. They last the lifetime of the building, are cheap to buy and unobtrusive.

Action for Swifts make swift bricks for different wall types, thicknesses and can even custom match brick colour.

Action for Swifts

Sheffield Swift Network

If swift bricks are not an option, swift boxes are a good alternative. There are many options out there to suit different needs and budgets.

Action for Swifts make a range of nest boxes including ones that can be fitted into external wall insulation.

Action for Swifts

Impeckable Nest Boxes make high quality fibreglass and hardwood nest boxes in lots of different configurations.

Impeckable

Peak Nest Boxes are 3D printed out of a blend of sawdust and cornstarch, and come with options to fit a camera onto the box.

Peak Nest Boxes

swift boxes

swift callers

When installing a swift brick or swift box, it is also a good idea to install a caller system. Swifts like to nest where there are other swifts, so a caller helps them find the boxes and move in!

A swift caller is programmed to play swift calls at dawn and dusk during the months of May to August.

Once swifts have moved in the calls no longer need to be played and the calling system can be moved to another location.

Sheffield Swift Network has a useful page on the different callers available and how to install them.

Sheffield Swift Network

renovate mindfully

If you have swifts in your property already and are planning to renovate, there are many ways that you can retain the nesting holes depending on where the swifts nest.

Swifts are site faithful, so they return to the same nest site every year. Even if a box is placed next to where a hole used to be, swifts often try and get into where they've previously nested, and can hurt themselves in the process.

It is always better to retain a nest site than retrofit a box.

REMEMBER!

Nesting swifts are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. It is illegal to disturb, obstruct, damage, destroy or prevent entry to any active swift nest.

Follow these rules when doing building works:

Do not work on the roof during the May-August nesting season
Do not block their access with scaffolding - swifts need a clear flight path
Adapt your building works to allow swifts to access their nest sites in future years, see below for guidance