A North Wales care organisation is helping to save one of Wales’ most threatened birds after an alarming collapse in numbers.

Wrexham and Caernarfon-based Pendine Park has worked with North Wales Wildlife Trust to support a conservation drive aimed at reversing a 76 per cent decline in swift numbers.

Dozens of specially designed, hand-built swift nesting boxes have been installed at Pendine’s care homes in Summerhill Road and Hillbury Road, creating new nesting sites for the fast disappearing birds.

The move comes after nationwide surveys revealed the scale of the decline since 1995, with conservation experts warning the future of the species is now at serious risk unless urgent action is taken.

Environmentalists, scientists and conservation experts are so concerned that they have added swifts to the Red List of Threatened Species, the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus and plant species.

The North Wales Wildlife Trust has been appealing for help from local businesses, schools, property owners and the public in general.

Their Wrexham Swift Project has received vital funding help from the Welsh Government through Wrexham County Borough Council.

The Trust’s Living Landscapes Project Officer, Craig Wade, said: “Swifts are one of the most beautiful sights of summer and their distinctive call is one of the most wonderful sounds of summer.

“But their numbers are dwindling due to habitat loss, climate change, and declining insect numbers.

“For generations they have nested in our towns and cities finding tiny gaps in roofs, or holes in the walls of old buildings.

“But as modern building techniques improve, they often lack gaps under eaves, and as we renovate old properties the number of nesting opportunities has diminished.

“Older buildings are refurbished which has resulted in the sealing off these gaps which swifts might use.

“The result is that they are struggling to find good nesting sites. Our project is designed to help rectify this. We have been looking for suitable buildings where we can install the boxes and help stabilise their decline.

North Wales Wildlife Trust approached Pendine Park because its Summerhill Road site is especially suitable for nest box installations.

Craig said: “The main building is north facing which is perfect for fledgling swifts, meaning the nests will be warm enough but also shaded from the scorching heat of the sun.”

Pendine head gardener Andrew Jones leads a team of six maintaining the extensive grounds around the care homes which include a colourful and diverse an array of plants and shrubs..

Andrew said: “Projects like this are crucial for helping wildlife. We will be keeping a keen eye out for the first signs of any swift activity. It would be fantastic if residents get the chance to see some of the nesting birds and their fledglings.”

It was a view echoed by Estates Manager Gary Syme who said: “Pendine Park’s owners, Mario and Gill Kreft, are both keen conservationists and actively support schemes to preserve our natural environment and the variety of species which live around us.

“They understand how important it is to do all we can to protect the wonderful biodiversity we have here in North Wales.”The Wrexham Swift Project which is being delivered by NWWT in collaboration with Wrexham Council, has also supplied Pendine Park with a swift caller device which sends out a call-sound to encourage birds to investigate the next boxes.

Craig explained: “Swifts are colony birds that respond strongly to each other’s calls. Playing swift calls at dawn and dusk during the breeding season can attract juveniles to investigate and potentially occupy the nest box.”

In addition to the 30 Summerhill Road bird boxes, the Trust team also installed eight boxes at Hillbury House and Gwern Alyn care homes in Hillbury Road.

The bird boxes commissioned by the Trust, are made from locally sourced Larch and constructed by adults with learning disabilities at Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari, Denbighshire.

The Trust has been working to help swifts since 2014, calling for legislation change to encourage builders and architects to include swift bricks in new developments in Wales

In Scotland this idea has been written into building legislation and the Trust is campaigning for the Welsh government to do the same.

It has also launched an online ‘Swift Recovery’ page with Cofnod, which holds records of swift sightings, nest boxes success stories and action which can be taken to further protect swifts.

They are only seen in Wales and the UK in summer when they migrate here from Africa specifically to nest and raise their young. They arrive in early May and leave in August, making a marathon journey which has become more perilous with every passing year.

Craig said: “They are truly remarkable birds, which spend almost all their lives on the wing. They even eat, sleep and mate in flight. Clocking up millions of air miles in a lifetime as they migrate every year.

“They only ever land for a short time in the summer to nest and raise their young. We are fortunate that they do that right here in Wales.

“But the decline in their numbers is an important signal that they are struggling to find nesting sites and enough insects to feed their chicks. If we don’t act now we could lose this incredible species. That is why providing these nesting boxes is so important, and one way we can help support them.”

 Find out more here; https://www.northwaleswildlifetrust.org.uk/swifts