Newtown Swift Project
Many of us enjoy hearing the uplifting screams of swooping swifts that fill our skies in the summer months. Did you know that swifts migrate all the way from the Congo in West Africa to nest and breed right here in Eastleigh?
These beautiful and charismatic birds are totally site faithful. They return to breed in exactly the same place every year once they have established a nesting site. Thousands of years ago they would have bred in holes in trees but they have adapted to live alongside us, and now nest in roof cavities, under eaves and in other small gaps within buildings.
Sadly, swifts have declined across Hampshire and the UK by more than 50% over the past 25 years and they are rapidly becoming a bird in trouble. But it’s really easy to help them because the key factor determining their survival is the availability of nest sites.
Eastleigh is quite a stronghold and the Newtown Residents Association has been working with Hampshire Swifts since 2021 to install swift nest boxes on as many houses as possible throughout Newtown to try and boost their numbers.
Our project has been an amazing success so far, with 60 new swift boxes installed in the last two years. We have a target of at least 100 boxes and we continue to organise installation every few months once we have enough people signed up.