Swifts Are On Their Way – A Non-Stop Journey

 

Cally here from Huntly Swift Group – NES Swifts!  People may know us as Huntly Swift Group, but we have been planning a name change for some time now. And we finally have ourselves a brand new logo and will gradually be known as NES Swifts or North East Scotland Swifts.

I founded the group back in 2017 initially as a swift protection group. But it soon became very clear that the confusion species of Swallow, Sand and House Martin were in an equally dire situation for similar reasons and needed our help.  We now try to protect and provide for all 4 of our Aviators across the North East of Scotland!  As I write this, nearing the last week of April, our House Martins and Swallows are returning around the UK from their wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa, the Swallows as far away as South Africa! Our Sand Martins have been here for a little longer, having the longest stay of the four, arriving in March and staying until September.  Sand Martins overwinter in the Western Sahel region, south of the Sahara.

Swallow, House Martin & Sand Martin

The Common Swift’s Journey

The Common Swift, the only Swift that breeds in the UK, over winters around the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the lush rainforests of the Congo. However, since a Swift never lands, it travels continuously throughout its stay across to Mozambique in the east, Angola in the west, Zambia and Botswana and north into Nigeria. Feeding, drinking and sleeping on the wing!  Yes, you heard it right, a Swift sleeps on the wing using an adaptation to keep it on track, known as Uni-Hemispherical Slow Wave Sleep (UHSWS) or Asymmetrical SWS.

Put simply, one half of the brain falls into deep sleep with the corresponding eye shut and the other ‘side’ remains wide awake. The benefits are the ability to rest daily and keep on course during long migration flights.  The Swifts can at all times maintain environmental awareness and aerodynamic flight control.  Other species also have UHSWS, such as cetaceans, sparrows, blackbirds and domestic hens too!

Google maps for swifts

Geolocator projects have provided us with an insight into the migration journey Swifts endure. Travelling at an average 25mph, and taking less than a month to cover a one way journey of perhaps 8,000 miles, non-stop.  A geolocator is a small electronic tracking device weighing a fraction of an ounce which records light levels over a period of time.  The data is then used to calculate latitude and longitude readings of the bird’s movements.  Analysts can determine when and where the birds travelled often within an accuracy of 80 miles.

You can even submit your own Swift sightings, nest boxes, occupied nests and previously occupied nests – Swift Mapper.

One Swift’s Migration Journey | RSPB

Life on the wing

A Swift spends more time airborne than any other species. Only ever landing at its breeding grounds to raise a family.  Young Swifts having fledged the nest at 6 weeks of age will fly continuously for 3 years. Until they are of an age to breed. Swifts mate for life having only one brood per year consisting of 2-3 eggs. With the survival rate normally being 2 chicks. However, this is dependent on weather conditions and food availability.  The youngsters will leave the nest individually and it is thought will head off immediately to Africa. The parents will often remain at the nest site, roosting for a couple of weeks before themselves heading back to their over wintering grounds.

Flight for survival

The problems facing our Aviators are varied and not so different to those facing most of the wildlife we love.  Climate change and all that goes with it is causing our migratory bird’s great difficulty, making their journeys more treacherous due to extreme weather occurrences, food shortages and changing reliability of resources en-route. As with all our Aviators, they are Insectivorous and require large amounts of flying insects to sustain them. Which brings in another contributing factor to their decline, the loss of insect biodiversity these birds rely on.

Threats to their food supply

A wide variety of insects are required to raise young, like ourselves they depend on a varied diet. However, insects, one of the most important planet health indicators, are rapidly diminishing and for a number of reasons.

• Pesticides – Excessive use and misuse of pesticides are destroying our insect populations.
• Climate Change – Changing seasons causing insects to emerge earlier or later than expected.
• Habitat loss – Not just habitat destruction but a change in land use.
• Light pollution – Over use of incorrect lighting affects insects, nocturnal animals, migratory birds and human health.

Nesting locations under threat

Nest site loss is another factor affecting the future of our birds especially as Swift, Swallow and House Martin depend on our built environment for breeding success.  Swallows like to nest in our open barns, garages, porches and sheds, anywhere with a roof and permanent access. Whereas House Martins like to build on the outside of our buildings in the apex, under a deep overhang or in the corner of a window. Unfortunately since these two summer visitors are a little messy, people are preventing them from building their mud nests. Sometimes deliberately knocking them down, though it is illegal to do so once the birds begin to build.  There are options, just ask us how you can help them.

Swifts on the other hand nest by entering through a break in the pointing, under a loose slate or hole in the wall. They make no mess and come and go silently and un-noticed. Another reason they are losing their nest sites because roof and repair works go ahead in the breeding season.  A Swift that returns from migration to find its access hole (to which it is 100% loyal) filled or gone completely can try endlessly to gain entry for up to two weeks. Sometimes this will result in injury or death. We can improve our buildings and still provide for nature; please ask us the many ways we can do this. You can also find information on NESBiP’s Developer Hub.

Keep your eyes to the sky

Meantime look out for your birds and enjoy them for the short time they are with us bringing us joy and fascination.  Contact the Huntly Swift Group – NES Swifts for a list of our events, to receive our newsletter, to help with our work or for free guidance.  huntlyswiftgroup@gmail.com or visit our ‘huntlyswiftgroup’ Facebook page!

Together we CAN Save the Aviators!