N.B. Our goal is to use the intial £5,000 grant to kickstart a Crowdfunder to raise a total of £10,000 to be awarded to this project in early 2025. We will post updates here.

A second year of funding for Devon Birds‘ Swift Boxes project, which aims to address the decline of the European Swift, a red-listed species whose population has plummeted by 60% in the UK over the past 25 years.

The primary cause for the decline of this much-loved bird species is the loss of suitable breeding sites due to the ‘tidying-up’ of old buildings. 

By utilising church towers, the project capitalises on stable, long term structures to provide well-suited nesting habitats for these iconic birds.

Year one of the project enabled Devon Birds to:

• Install nesting cabinets for breeding European Swifts in 12 churches across Devon.
• Host two public meetings, with approximately 170 attendees.
• Establish a network of “Swift Champions” – local community members passionate about swifts, who support  activities in individual churches.
• Generate 1,116 online interactions and 2,570 visits to the project’s interactive map page.

Additionally, outside of DEF’s funding, the project team undertook an installation at Exeter Cathedral, creating 128 nest chambers.

Overall, the Devon Swift project installed 1,204 nest chambers in 2024.

Patience is required when measuring success because nest chamber occupancy usually takes 2–3 years. However, evidence from similar projects in other parts of the country shows that within five years, between 50% and 70% of chambers will be in use.

The popularity of the project has ignited demand for replication throughout Devon. With a dedicated team, ongoing installations, and strong community support, there is increasing demand to expand these efforts.

DEF’s second year of support will enable Devon Birds to continue delivering this popular project, installing more nest cabinets and audio lures in churches throughout the county.

The overall aim is to kickstart many more swift colonies in towns and villages across Devon, to accelerate a recovery in population numbers, while inspiring people to think about how they can accommodate swifts in their own homes and outbuildlings.

Image credits: Devon Swift Project