Swift-friendly housing a priority for developers

A Bristol house-building company is constructing homes using bricks that Common Swifts can nest in. Barratt, which is working on developments in Yate and Thornbury, is hoping to boost the local population and is choosing places where swift numbers and nest sites have been declining most severely.

Modern building methods often eliminate swifts' access to rooftops and, as old buildings are demolished, the number of available nesting sites is reduced. However, Barratt has already installed several hundred swift-friendly bricks at previous developments in Aylesbury and Exeter, with the bricks ventilated and matching the colour of the houses.

Common Swift has declined in most UK cities during the past two decades (Andrew Moon).

David Thomas, Chief executive of Barratt Developments, said: "Our aim is to try and give nature a home, so by installing swift bricks into houses as we build them it is a simple and effective way to do just that. Swifts are an iconic bird that used to be seen everywhere. By giving them new nesting sites hopefully it will help give them a boost so we can see more of them."

Bristol is one of many UK cities where swifts have declined significantly in recent years. The current UK population estimate is some 90,000 pairs, down from 150,000 pairs two decades ago.

Mike Clarke, former Chief Executive of the RSPB, said: "Although their calls can make it seem like there are a lot of them, unfortunately this is a bird we are very concerned about as there are less than half the number we used to see in our skies in the 1990s.

"Housebuilders like Barratt are able to help our swifts, and their commitment to create homes for them as well as people will make a big difference in keeping these amazing birds in our skies."