National nestbox week 2022

Happy National Nestbox Week!

This week, we are celebrating nest boxes across the country! RSPB Scotland are pleased to share nest box designs for garden birds and swifts for you to build yourself at home. Alternatively, you can buy premade nest boxes from our shop here and here.

Swift nest boxes built by The Forge, Edinburgh                    

As well as building or installing new nest boxes, it is important to protect and preserve existing nest sites wherever possible.  That might be a lovely old hedge used by greenfinches, a hole in a tree used by a tawny owl, or a gap under your roof eaves used by swifts.

Swifts evolved around 60 million years ago and grace our skies every summer. Following a decline of 58% between 1995 and 2016, they were sadly added to the UK Birds of Conservation Concern 5 Red List just last year. This means that the species is globally threatened, has severely declined in the last 25 years, and needs highest conservation priority. The main confirmed cause of decline is due to loss of places to nest. Swifts are crevice-nesting species that might once have used sea cliffs, but they now prefer to be in roofs of buildings. 

Graph from the BTO

Our current mission is to build nest protection and installation across sectors. At our successful and popular training in swift friendly construction in December (which you can watch here), we heard case studies and words of support from D-on Architects, National Federation of Roofing Contractors and City of Edinburgh Council. We are extremely excited to be working with local Edinburgh based company Saltire Roofing & Building Ltd, who will be raising awareness of swift-friendly roofing across the city. After receiving training in swift-friendly roofing, Saltire are currently training their entire team to incorporate the protection of swift nests into all aspects of their work. Swift-friendly roofing involves fitting nest boxes and protecting existing nests by leaving access for swifts or avoiding roofing work during nesting season, where swifts are nesting. We look forward to sharing positive case studies this swift season.

What else can be done?

• Contribute your swift sightings to Swift Mapper in the swift season (start of May – to the start of August). This only gathers swift nest and screaming party information.

• Look to see if a swift is nesting near your home, workplace or local area using Swift Mapper. That way, if you see development you can speak with people to let them know swifts are nesting there, and that Swifts, like all wild birds, are protected by Scottish Law particularly during nesting season.

• We are working with housing developers to ensure swift nest boxes are the new norm in new build developments.

• Swifts feed on flying insects, so ensuring wetlands, wildflower meadow and trees remain protected helps support swifts. Planting native hedges, trees, wildflower meadows and creating wildlife ponds is a great way to make a difference for native insects, and swifts (and lots of other wildlife) will benefit too. You can watch Edinburgh Swift Local Groups training into pesticides and gardening to biodiversity here.

Main image - an RSPB swift nestbox.