Swifts are renowned as superb flyers and can travel up to 500 miles a day and indeed, spend most of their lives on the wing, feeding, sleeping, and mating. However, their numbers have declined by over 60% in the last 30 years due to a combination of factors including the loss of nesting spaces on buildings.

With funding from Richmond Council’s Civic Pride Fund and support from the Barnes Handyman Station, we have set up a Barnes Swift Group and put up around 30 swift boxes on a dozen houses around Barnes this spring. Some households have also bought calling systems which can help attract birds.

Swifts land in the UK from Africa each year in distinct waves, depending on their age. The 2 and 3-year-old birds that arrive in late May and early June to prospect for nest sites for next year are the ones that we are looking to attract.

If you are interested in helping us save these fantastic birds, please join the Barnes Swift Group and support our efforts to repeat the project next year. After the success of our evening Swift Walk in June, we are holding another walk on 12th July to assess the local population. You can book your tickets for the Swift Walk here.