Swift Mapper has hit a milestone of 100,000 records
Swift lovers across the UK are celebrating as Swift Mapper - a citizen science tool designed to help track where Swifts are nesting and contribute to conservation efforts - has hit a milestone 100,000 records from members of the public since it was first introduced.
Launched fully in 2020 in response to the decline in the UK’s Swift population, the Swift Mapper was developed by the Natural Apptitude team with input from the RSPB and other Swift conservation groups. The app allows members of the public to identify, record and view Swift colony locations and nest sites, sharing their findings with conservationists at the RSPB as well as local Swift action groups.
Often hailed as one of the first signs of summer, these much-loved migratory birds with crescent-shaped wings scream across our skies in large groups from May onwards. These “screaming parties”, so called for their distinctive scream-like call, travel more than 7,000 miles from Africa to join us each summer. Swifts also – incredibly - eat, sleep, bathe and mate “on the wing”.
Despite the incredible efforts Swifts make to get here, they are in trouble, having declined by 66% between 1995 and 2022 in the UK. As a species that traditionally nest in the eaves of our homes, the loss of suitable nest sites for Swifts has played a role in their decline as homes and other buildings have been modernised.
The sightings and nest locations recorded through Swift Mapper provide valuable data for the RSPB and other conservationists. By identifying where Swifts are nesting, colony areas can be flagged and supported through local community nest box projects to reverse the decline of this iconic species.
As Laurinda Luffman, RSPB Swift species lead describes:
“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. People receive immense joy from watching these birds and Swift Mapper shows the power of people in conservation – their willingness to get involved can help save our Swifts.”
Swifts can pair for life, meeting up each spring at the same nest site in the UK – usually a gap under roof tiles or in the eaves of buildings. While their traditional nest sites may be lost due to building modernisation, there is hope in the form of Swift nest boxes and bricks, both of which can be installed to help give Swifts alternative places to raise their chicks in homes, businesses and even in tower-like structures.
Logging these Swift nest sites, as well as sightings of low-flying ‘screaming parties’ at roof height (which indicates they are breeding nearby), continues to be an important way to monitor the breeding success of this much-loved species. The records can also aid efforts to advocate for measures to improve their recovery, such as Hannah Bourne-Taylor’s Feather speech campaign which is urging the UK Government to mandate the use of Swift bricks in all new housing developments.
Reflecting on the role of nature-friendly development in helping species such as Swifts, Alice Hardiman, director of campaigns and mobilisation at the RSPB, said:
“Reaching this milestone further demonstrates the immense appetite from homeowners, businesses and whole communities to live alongside nature and help reverse the worrying declines in our wildlife. With simple interventions such as Swift bricks and boxes we can – and must – put the environment at the heart of our planning system. Building homes for the future and tackling the nature and climate emergency are not mutually exclusive, and when combined can bring significant benefits for both people and nature.”
The RSPB is urging members of the public to continue supporting Swifts by joining a local Swift action group and fitting Swift nest boxes or bricks to their homes and businesses, to help provide further nesting sites. And Swift lovers can look forward to logging records on the Swift Mapper app or website when the birds return next spring.