Article by Emma Bartlet
Every May, the skies above Lancashire fill with swifts swooping and reeling. It makes me feel so happy when I hear their screaming. For me, it marks the start of summer.
These tiny birds have flown over 3,400 miles back from Africa to spend the summer here before making the return flight in the autumn. They can fly at 70 mph and in a lifetime may fly 4 million miles. They rarely touch the ground, eating, mating and sleeping on the wing.
Not only are they amazing, but we now know they can help support food production, too. Recent research by Rothamsted Research found that Swifts selectively feed on larger crop pests. This suggests that they could be immensely valuable as part of a more ecologically focussed pest control strategy, helping farmers lose less crops to pests.
Swifts in Trouble
However, the swift is in big trouble. Their numbers have declined by over 60% in the last 30 years. They are currently on the Red At Risk List of species in decline. A key factor in this decline is the loss of suitable nesting sites. They like to nest in crevices and tiny spaces in the roofs of old buildings. As old buildings are pulled down, and homes re-roofed the swifts have lost their nesting spaces.
In Lancaster, a group of local people have come together over the past few years to try to help the swifts. It all started just after the Covid lockdowns. We started chatting on our street’s WhatsApp group about what we might do. As a result, we formed Lancaster Swift City and worked very closely with the RSPB Lancaster Local Group. What has happened since?
- We put up over 30 swift boxes on some of our houses and created a “Swift Street”. Our road became known for this locally and the tiny birds usually feature in our annual street party. They have become part of our community’s identity. A local symbol.
- In 2024, we declared Lancaster a “Swift City” as a way to flag how important these tiny creatures are to our city. In November last year we ran family friendly workshops at the Storey, making hundreds of paper birds and talking with families and young people about what we all can do to help them.
- We worked with the fantastic Light Up Lancaster festival team in 2025 to raise awareness by commissioning an amazing light artwork by artists Leo & Hyde at the Priory called “Blink and You Might Miss It”. Over 11,000 people visited this magical installation. The feedback was incredible. Did you see it?
How Can You Help?
We are currently working with the Lancaster Men’s Hub and across February are running workshops to make more Swift boxes to go up across the city. The wood is all scrap wood that otherwise would have gone to waste. Some timber came from the “Wood House” in Preston, a wonderful social enterprise that recycles scrap wood.
We are now looking for volunteers to help make these boxes. The boxes will be in kit form, so easy for us to assemble. Could you spare a couple of hours and join one of our workshops on February 1st, 8th and 15th?
Other ways to help them is to plant and protect wildflowers to help provide insect food. Or see if you can get a Swift Box added to your home or chat to your neighbours about creating your own ‘Swift Street’.
We are currently talking with Lancaster City Council to see if we can get Swift Bricks made mandatory in all suitable new buildings. We are fighting for this to be included in the new Local Plan.
Talk to your local Councillor where you live, and see if your Council can do the same.
These amazing tiny birds are worth fighting for if we don’t want to lose them from our skies forever. In a time of great uncertainty, helping nature is a great way to help ourselves.
If you want to be more involved, please email rspblancastergroup@gmail.com
With thanks to the Closing Loops Pots of Possibility fund for funding the swift box workshops.
