Who we are and what we do

Vale of Belvoir Swifts is an informal group of like-minded individuals committed to helping address the decline in swift populations within the largely rural, agricultural landscape of the Vale of Belvoir.

Our main focus has been the establishment of a stable swift colony in Kinoulton, a village around 10 miles (16 km) south-east of Nottingham. The colony is based in the tower of St Luke’s Church providing long-term nesting opportunities and strong support from the local community. This sense of permanence is vital for a species that depends on reliable nesting sites year after year.

Since the first attempts to establish the Kinoulton colony in 2011, the project has proved highly successful. The tower now contains 40 nesting boxes, supporting more than 25 breeding pairs and producing over 50 swiftlets each year. Building on this success, we are developing satellite colonies in nearby village church towers. Trial boxes were installed in St Margaret’s Church, Owthorpe in 2016, and further boxes were added to St Lukes Church, Hickling in 2023. In addition, several private householders in the area have installed prefabricated swift boxes.

We design and build bespoke swift nest boxes, installing them within church towers in consultation with each church’s Parochial Church Council. The boxes are accessed by swifts through existing louvres, avoiding any alteration to the external appearance of the buildings. To help swifts locate and adopt new nesting sites, pre-recorded attraction calls are played during the initial stages.

All nest boxes are carefully monitored by our group, both through regular physical checks and, in some cases, by non-invasive remote cameras that do not disturb the birds.

Alongside practical conservation work, we actively promote awareness of swifts and their conservation needs. Each summer we host an open evening at St Luke’s Church, Kinoulton, and we share our experience and understanding with others who wish to support and conserve swift populations in their own local areas.

Swifts in Decline

In common with barn swallows and house martins, which also feed on aerial insects, numbers of the common swift (Apus apus) in the UK have decreased markedly – possibly by as much as 60% over the last two decades.

Their conservation status is now Red Listed in the UK and Ireland, with an estimated population of around 59,000 breeding pairs.

Why Are Swifts Declining?

The causes of swift decline are multifactorial, and include:

• Loss of suitable nesting sites: Traditional nesting spaces are disappearing as older buildings are re-roofed, insulated to modern standards, and wooden features such as barge boards are replaced with PVC.
• Unseasonal weather and climate change: Prolonged cold or wet summer periods, as well as excessive summer heat and drought, can significantly reduce breeding success.
• Decline in aerial insects: Likely linked to intensive agriculture and pesticide use, forcing swifts to forage further to meet their energy and nutritional needs.
• Predation: Predators such as sparrowhawks can be locally significant.

 The Extraordinary Life of the Swift

The return of swifts to their ancestral breeding sites alongside human communities is something to be marvelled at. Lone birds launch themselves from the safety of the nest in late summer and fly non-stop on an approximately 7,000‑mile journey to southern Africa, returning the following May.

Once fledged and airborne, young swifts may not land again for up to three years, until they reach breeding maturity – a period during which they face innumerable hazards.

Understanding Swift Numbers

While it is undisputed that swifts are in decline, there is ongoing debate about the true total population size in the UK. This complexity arises because the population consists of three distinct age groups, each with different arrival times, departure times, and behaviours:

• Established breeders (4 years and older), focused on reuniting with partners and raising young
• New potential breeders (3-4 years old), seeking mates and nesting opportunities
• Non‑breeders (under 3 years old), visually indistinguishable from breeders and often seen in large aerial gatherings

Despite these challenges, BTO surveys over the past two decades, using consistent sampling methods, show a clear and worrying downward trend.

The Importance of Nest Sites

Encouragingly, recent monitoring of established colonies – including the Kinoulton tower colony – shows that numbers remain stable once a colony is established. Furthermore, adding additional nest boxes typically leads to gradual increases over time.

By providing permanent nesting opportunities, we can help halt the decline and rebuild populations. Evidence from monitoring studies and practical experience strongly suggests that loss of nesting sites is a major driver of swift decline in the UK.

Through coordinated efforts – such as installing nest boxes in church towers and encouraging communities to provide boxes on suitable buildings – we can create the conditions needed for stable populations to develop.

When nesting sites are destroyed without replacement, the swift’s instinct to return to ancestral sites is broken. Re‑establishing swifts at abandoned locations later requires considerable patience and persistence. This challenge is shared by other site‑faithful species, such as house martins.

While providing nest sites addresses a fundamental limiting factor, swifts will of course remain vulnerable to the wider environmental pressures outlined above.

Rupert Earl and Alan Wilkins – June 2024

References

1. British Trust for Ornithology (2022). Breeding Bird Survey Report 2022.
2. British Trust for Ornithology. Swift species factsheet.
3. DOI: 10.1111/ibi.13156
4. Newell, D., Collins, T., & Pomroy, J. (2024). Are we underestimating the UK common swift population? British Birds, 117, 114–119.
5. Newell, D., & Willis, J. (2023). Are nest boxes for swifts a good idea? British Wildlife, 34, 585–591.

Insects and Birds – Why We Need to Do What We Do

The canal is an integral part of this project. Water plays a crucial role in sustaining insect life, and insect populations across the country are currently in serious decline. In this context, the canal itself – together with the vegetation along its banks – is significant for the conservation of species and the maintenance of biodiversity.

Swallows and house martins typically feed at lower levels, skimming the air above water and fields, while swifts range much higher, catching insects carried upwards by wind and thermals. These complementary feeding strategies highlight the importance of a healthy, insect-rich landscape at multiple heights.

Using published research, we have calculated that in an average year the young raised in the tower consume approximately 27 kilograms of insects. This represents not only an ecological benefit but an economic one: around 76% of the insects taken are agricultural pests, meaning these birds provide a substantial natural pest-control service.

The proximity of the tower to the canal, together with the surrounding landscape – fields and byways, woods and copses – plays a significant role in the breeding success of swifts and supports a wide range of other wildlife. Protecting and enhancing these interconnected habitats is therefore fundamental to the aims of this project.