Welsh Members learn about Swifts and How You Can Help Them
Rebecca Clews-Roberts, Welsh Section Committee
On the 7th June, 16 attendees from CIEEM and the North Wales Wildlife Trust (NWWT) gathered for this joint event.
Ben Stammers from NWWT gave a fascinating talk about swifts, their ecology, their conservation status and how to survey for them and submit records.
There are plenty of ways for those working in the ecology sector to help swifts and to try to halt the decline of this amazing bird. Volunteers are working within the industry to pass on requests for swift nest boxes to be installed, as well as calling for any natural entry holes not to be closed during re-roofing and other house maintenance.
Participants learned that swift adults and chicks can go into a torpor in times of poor weather, when they can’t fly to catch insects. Their bodies simply shut down to conserve energy!
We also learned that they remain airborne for around 300 days a year and are adapted to eating, sleeping, mating and preening in mid-air.
For more information, please visit:
UK Swift Awareness Week 22-30 June 2019
Please submit records to your local records centre.
