Recent revisions to planning policy in England means that new homes are now required to include nature-friendly features for swifts such as swift bricks. These specially designed bricks are incorporated into the walls of buildings to provide nesting sites for cavity-nesting birds like swifts.
Swifts are extraordinary birds that spend almost their entire lives in the air, feeding, drinking and sleeping on the wing. In the UK they traditionally nest in small gaps or cavities in older buildings, making towns and cities vital to their survival. In recent decades swift numbers have declined sharply, falling by more than half since the mid-1990s. The loss of nesting sites, fewer flying insects, and climate change have placed swifts on the UK Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern.
