S7 Swift initiative

Following the success of the first “S7 Swifts” initiative in summer and autumn last year, led and established by Lynne Chapman, NESST has taken on the organisation of this project for 2022.

We want to continue to support the increase of swifts in the NESST area through the erection of Swift nest boxes on people’s houses and other properties.

Swift boxes for S7 will be fitting boxes for local residents in April this year. If you live in the S7 postcode area and are interested in having a swift box fitted, please email info@nesstsheffield.org and we will be in contact with more details.

There is a separate but alligned Swift Group for S11. If you live in S11 and want Swift Boxes on your house/property, feel free to email our email address above, and we’ll put you in touch.

This is the advice from the RSPB on placement of a swift box:

“You will need to place it high on the vertical wall of a building, ideally under the eaves, and it should be 5m (15 feet) above the ground, with an unobstructed flight path. Think of how a swift will approach the nest – it swoops down and then up to the nest site at speed, the upward ascent slowing it down to land. The box shouldn’t be in direct sunlight, so an aspect between north and east is usually best.”

A useful link:

Swift Mapper is a website where you can submit records of breeding swifts, making it a useful tool to help swifts. It collects 4 different types of records and anyone can add their observations:

1. Occupied Nest: where swifts are observed using a nest site cavity.
2. Previously Occupied: where swifts were known to nest previously, but no longer do so.
3. Nest Box: nesting sites deliberately provided for swifts – nest boxes, nest bricks, etc. Whether occupied yet or not.
4. Screaming Party: records of swifts flying at around roof height, often flying fast in groups, and often giving loud screaming calls. This behaviour indicates that swifts are breeding nearby.