We are pleased to say to we have free swift boxes available to give out to suitable locations in the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape.
Swifts are an iconic species of bird in the UK, with their signature silhouette instantly recognisable, but in just under 20 years their population has declined by a staggering 45%.
Swifts like to nest in nooks and crannies. One of the reasons for their decline is a lack of nesting sites caused by many new buildings being built without nesting opportunities for swifts and old buildings being knocked down or repaired.
Things to consider for suitable nest box sites:
- Height above ground should be at least 4.5 metres
- Ideal places for nest boxes are under eaves, on or in gables, or high walls
- Nest boxes can be painted to match the colour of the building
- Make sure the swifts have a clear flight path to/from the nest boxes
The National Landscape team can give out boxes for free sets of six boxes with a caller. We are trying to establish new colonies and the caller is the most expensive part of the set, so we will only give out the caller for free at sites that can install six boxes.
We can also give out any number of boxes (up to six) for free at sites that already have nesting swifts because a caller isn’t required in that circumstance.
If a recipient who doesn’t already have nesting swifts on site wants fewer than six boxes, then we can give out fewer but in that scenario they would have to purchase the caller themselves but the boxes will be free.
Please note we cannot install either the callers or the boxes for you, this would need to be done by the host. The boxes are also only available for locations within the National Landscape boundary.
Funding for the swift boxes was provided by the Department of the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
For more information, or to register your interest, please contact our Nature Recovery Officer, Alex Moore da Luz, at [email protected].
