GASP - Grimsby Area Swift Project

Aim

To install Swift boxes and/or Swift bricks on suitable buildings to replace natural nest sites lost through demolition and modifications

                                                   GASP

                                                                (Grimsby Area Swift Project)

Can you help?

• Swifts pair for life and after flying thousands of mile often return to their nest site to find it no longer exists, due to house renovations, new soffits on the house covering up all access holes, and new buildings around which are extremely ‘unfriendly’ to the birds with no spaces available for birds to nest.
• With such a short time for them to rear their brood they just don't have time and energy to search for a new nest site each spring.
• Could this be another truly amazing bird that disappears from our skies, meaning future generations will no longer hear the screams of the Swifts overhead on warm summer evenings?

You can help! Here is how and why!

• Swifts are a red listed species. They have seen their population plummet by
  over 60% since 1995, and this percentage continues to grow. The main reason
  we are seeing this fall is primarily due to a loss of nesting sites. Swifts that
  travel to the UK to breed in the summer, originally would have nested in
  crevices in old buildings, tree holes and crags in cliff faces. However, the
  growth of intensive farming, old buildings being torn down and the erosion of
  green belt sites to make way for new housing developments is leaving the
  Swift with very few options.

Why should we help the Swift?

• We all know how nature and wildlife can benefit our mental wellbeing. It has a calming and therapeutic effect on our senses, relieving stress and reducing the risk of mental health problems. Watching a colony of Swifts overhead, seeing how these masters of the sky glide effortlessly is one of the most uplifting and heart-warming sights a person can experience.
• Educationally, Swifts are amongst the most fascinating of the bird world. They lead an extraordinary life, which is spent almost entirely on the wing. They travel thousands of miles to breed and endure constant dangers during their journey to the UK. They eat thousands of insects in flight, more than any other bird which in turn helps us by protecting our crops from pests.

What can we do?

• We can help these wonderful birds, by creating artificial nesting sites for them. We can add Swift bricks to new housing developments, and we can install Swift boxes on existing buildings.
• Swifts are very clean birds, and their nest sites are
  free from mess or droppings. It would be terrible if we allow this majestic bird
  to decline any further, but the solution to its survival is very easy.  

                                                         Help us help Swifts!!

This project successfully funded on 21st December 2023