Regular readers will know of News OnTheWight’s love of swifts, the acrobatic dancers in the sky, who return to the UK (including many on the Isle of Wight) from Africa late-springtime – to the same nesting sites year after year.
They migrate here to breed and return home around June/July-time, so for a few magical months we’re able to enjoy spotting them darting around the sky feeding on insects and joining their chums for evening dances at dusk.
Swift population declined by 50 per cent
However, these beautiful creatures have declined by 50 per cent in the UK in recent years and so an online petition has been set up calling on the Government to make swift bricks compulsory in new housing to help red-listed birds, such as swifts, house martins, starlings and house sparrows.
The Government have responded to the petition saying they welcome actions by developers to provide “swift bricks”, but that they “consider this a matter for local authorities depending upon the specific circumstances of each site”.
Still time to sign
The petition has just one month left to attract around 24,000 signatures to secure a debate in Parliament.
You can help bring this matter for debate in Parliament by adding your signature to the petition.
Don’t forget to check your email after signing to validate your signature.
40 seconds of swifts
If you can’t wait to see the return of the swifts, this video from 2019 might bring a bit of sunshine to your day – turn the sound up and listen until the end for the wonderful screeching from the skies.
