Completely redesigned for 2016, our swift box is based on the highly successful Zeist design widely used in Holland. It has an overhanging front panel and oval entrance hole. The entrance hole was reduced in size in 2017 as a result of the latest research findings and guidance from Swift Conservation and other bodies specialising in swifts; these two features combine to reduce the chances of the box being occupied by starlings or sparrows.
Swifts spend as little as three months breeding in the UK each summer before returning to Africa. They have traditionally bred in the eaves and gables of buildings but these sites are becoming scarce as, increasingly in modern and renovated buildings, swifts are excluded. Swifts have declined in the UK by as much as a third in the past twenty years, one of the apparent causes being the loss of nesting sites. You can help these increasingly threatened birds by putting up our swift nest box to provide a safe Providescomfortable nest site.
Our nest boxes are easy to fit. Simply secure them externally to the building in a quiet spot ideally high up (we suggest at least 5m high) beneath the eaves. It’s important that there is a substantial clear drop beneath the front of the box so the swifts have an uninterrupted flight path.
The box is constructed from precision cut FSC certified external grade plywood and has been treated with environmentally friendly preservative which is kind to the birds but ensures a long lasting dry comfortable nest box. The Swift Nest Box features a single nesting compartment with oval entrance hole and removable side for access.
If the nest box is just occupied by swifts you'll not need to clean out the box however if other species use the box (sparrows and starlings will sometimes nest in swift boxes) then its best to remove all the nesting material in the winter when its not occupied and before swifts return in the spring.
