Swifts are declining rapidly – but Buriton can help!

Image
Swift boxes

Get a nesting box fitted for only £35

Swifts are the UK’s fastest birds and their exciting, aerobatic, screaching flights over Buriton is always a sign that summer has arrived.

But swifts are in trouble as changes are made to buildings which block up or remove their nest sites: new soffits, re-roofing, extra insulation etc.

The swift population has halved in the last 20 years!

Fitting a nest box to your home can help these beautiful and charismatic birds – and the Parish Council is arranging for a local charitable organisation, the Hampshire Swifts Group, to come to the village in October to fit as many boxes as are wanted: for only £35 each (including installation).

The Group attended the Village Show in August and collected a good list of interested households – but more are nesting boxes are available. 

Simply contact Doug Jones via doug.pam@btinternet.com to provide your name, address and contact details for the list.

The nesting boxes are made of 12mm external plywood and have a ten year coating of Roxil. They can be fixed under the eaves of a two storey house (about 4.5m high or higher) as long as there are no large trees or hedges in front.

The boxes will be screwed to the brickwork with stainless steel screws. Painted ones, to match painted render, can be provided for an extra £5 each.

Swifts are communal birds so if anyone wants more than one box, that’s great.

The Hampshire Charity says: “If we are going to save our Swifts in villages like Buriton we need to be getting lots of boxes up.”