Encouraging Swifts into Cambridge
As Swifts return to the David Attenborough Building, Dr Mike Rands, Master of Darwin College, talks about these magical birds.
The joy of summer to some is signalled by the return of the Common Swift. In groups, swirling above our heads, their calls known as ‘screaming parties’ can often be heard from late spring. High over the rooftops, these masters of the sky can remain unnoticeable, unless you witness their majestic acrobatics and top speeds of up to 69 mph. For enthusiasts, once seen, never unseen. With their curved wings and forked tail, these brown birds are summer visitors to the UK.
The Common Swift (Apus apus), however, is now not so common in the UK. Numbers are plummeting and they have been placed on the UK’s Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern. It is reported that for every ten swifts flying across our skies in 1995, there were only about three by 2022, and numbers continue to fall.*
The Master at Darwin College at the University of Cambridge, Dr Mike Rands, spoke about these magnificent and enigmatic birds as they nest at the David Attenborough Building and other buildings around the University, and what is being done to help encourage their return to Cambridge.
* Data from the Breeding Bird Survey. Cited in www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/what-we-do/protecting-species-and-habitats/species-spotlight/species-spotlight-Swift
Read the full article on the University of Cambridge website here.
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In this news article, the image of the common swift (Apus apus) in Balazuc, France, is from a Wikipedia article.