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BUILDING NEST BOXES FOR THE SWIFTINTO CEMENT BLOCK, BRICK ANDEXTERNALLY INSULATED WALLSGUIDANCE ON BEST PRACTICE

An adult Common Swift exiting nestsite at Castlebar Leisure ComplexWritten and Compiled by Lynda land@gmail.comNOVEMBER 2021Cover Image: Swifts flying past the nest entrances at Castlebar Leisure ComplexAll photos by Lynda Huxley unless otherwise credited.Whilst every care is taken in compiling this document, no responsibility can be taken for errors or omissions. Swift Conservation IrelandProduction of this leaflet was made possible by a grant fromNational Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and HeritageBUILDING NEST BOXES FOR THE SWIFT INTO CEMENT BLOCK AND BRICK WALLS

CONTENTSGENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SWIFTS AND NEST BOXESWHAT IS A SWIFT?WHY DOES THE SWIFT NEED OUR HELP?WHY INCORPORATE NEST BOXES IN THE WALL OF A BUILDING?ARE THERE GOOD EXAMPLES OF NEW BUILDINGS WITH BUILT-IN NEST BOXES?HOW WILL THE SWIFTS FIND THE NEST BOXES?WILL THE BIRDS LEAVE ANY MESS?4444555PROVIDING NEST BOXES FOR SWIFTSWHICH NEST BOX MODEL SHOULD BE USED?WHAT IS THE IDEAL LOCATION FOR NEST BOXES BEING BUILT INTO A WALL?CAN THE NEST BOXES BE PLACED ONE ABOVE THE OTHER?6667ABOUT THE WOODSTONE BUILD-IN SWIFT NEST BOX DEEPINSTALLING THE WOODSTONE SWIFT NEST BOX DEEPINSTALLING THE WOODSTONE SWIFT NEST BOX DEEP cont.PROTECTING THE ENTRANCE HOLE891010ABOUT THE SCHWEGLER 17A TRIPLE ENTRANCE/CAVITY NEST BOXINSTALLING THE SCHWEGLER 17AINCORPORATING NEST BOXES INTO BLOCKS OF EXTERNAL INSULATIONPROTECTING THE ENTRANCE HOLES11121314APPENDIX 1: WHERE TO BUY SWIFT NEST BOXESWHERE TO BUY THE WOODSTONE SWIFT NEST BOX DEEPWHERE TO BUY THE SCHWEGLER NEST BOXES151516APPENDIX 2: ATTRACTION CALLSABOUT THE ATTRACTION CALL SYSTEMWHERE TO LOCATE THE CALL SYSTEM181818NPWS LURE LICENCE19BUILDING NEST BOXES FOR THE SWIFT INTO CEMENT BLOCK AND BRICK WALLS

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SWIFTS AND NEST BOXESWHAT IS A SWIFT? Swifts are a family of birds that look similar to Swallows and MartinsThe Common Swift is the only one of the Swift family that comes to Ireland tobreed. They are gregarious and colonial nestersThey arrive in Ireland in late April/early May and leave in late August when thechicks have all left the nestThey go to Africa for the winter monthsThe Swift is unique because they eat, drink and sleep on the wingThey only land to breed between May and August each year so the rest of theyear they are flyingThey feed on airborne insects such as midges, aphids and tiny spidersFind out more about swifts at www.swiftconservation.ie and in the SwiftConservation Ireland booklet ‘We are Swifts, We are in Trouble’.WHY DOES THE SWIFT NEED OUR HELP? The Common Swift Apus apus is a Red-listed bird of conservation concern in IrelandThe population has declined in abundance by close to 50% in the past 30 yearsThis decline is mostly due to loss of ‘traditional’ nest sitesThe majority of the ‘traditional’ nest sites are in old buildings in our urban areasWhen these buildings are renovated/demolished the nest sites are lost andthe swifts are homelessThey come here in May to breedThey do not breed in Africa – where they spend the winter monthsWe can help recovery of the Swifts by providing permanent nest sites wherethey can breedWHY INCORPORATE NEST BOXES IN THE WALL OF A BUILDING?There are several reasons: 4To help recover the declining Swift populationBuilt-in nest boxes are the closest thing to the ‘traditional’ nest sitesBuilt-in nest boxes will be there for the life of the building which is veryimportant because the Swift is a long-lived bird and 100% faithful to its nest siteBuilt-in nest boxes have proven to be very effective for attracting SwiftsBUILDING NEST BOXES FOR THE SWIFT INTO CEMENT BLOCK AND BRICK WALLS

ARE THERE GOOD EXAMPLES OF NEW BUILDINGSWITH BUILT-IN NEST BOXES?There are several successful new build projects in public buildings in Ireland: Westport Town Hall, Co. Mayo where 4 triple cavity nest boxes installed in2015 providing 12 nest compartments. By 2019 all 12 nest compartmentswere occupied by Swifts Castlebar Leisure Centre, Co. Mayo where 8 triple cavity nest boxes were installedin the winter of 2017. The attraction calls were switched on in May 2018 and within5 weeks Swifts occupied 7 of the 24 nest compartments. This is an extremely quickuptake and suggests that built-in nest boxes are preferred over externally mountedboxes. In 2021, Swifts were observed using 17 of the nest compartments Claremorris Mount St Michael Secondary School, Co. Mayo where 8 triplecavity nest boxes were installed in 2019 providing 24 nest compartments. In2021, Swifts were observed using 3 of the nest compartmentsHOW WILL THE SWIFTS FIND THE NEST BOXES?It is essential to play attraction calls. The set-up of the call system can be tailoredto suit the building project. See Appendix 2 (page 18) for further information.WILL THE BIRDS LEAVE ANY MESS?Swifts are not messy birds and there willbe no mess on the wall or on the groundbelow the nest boxes, see Picture 1.BUT, the correct entrance size must be used.Maximum 29.5mm high by 65mm wide.Minimum 28mm high x 60mm wide. Thisis ideal for Swifts but too small for a Starlingto enter. It is very important to use a holethat is too small for Starlings because a) theyare aggressive to Swifts b) they bring insticks and other nest material which makesthe nest compartment unusable for Swifts.The nest boxes are sealed units whichdo not require any maintenance anddo not need to be cleaned out.PICTURE 1.Westport Town Hall built-in boxes (all occupiedby Swifts) - no bird droppings on the wallBUILDING NEST BOXES FOR THE SWIFT INTO CEMENT BLOCK AND BRICK WALLS5

PROVIDING NEST BOXES FOR SWIFTSWHICH NEST BOX MODEL SHOULD BE USED ?We recommend these models for building into the fabric of a wall: Woodstone Build-in Swift Nest Box Deep – single entrance/compartment Schwegler 17A Triple entrance/compartment Nest BoxDetails on where to buy them can be found in Appendix 1 (page 15).WHAT IS THE IDEAL LOCATION FOR NEST BOXES BEING BUILT INTOA WALL? Any aspect is ok for built in nest boxes (N, S, E or W) but N, NE is bestMinimum 5 metres above ground level – close to roof level is bestOPEN ASPECT i.e. no large trees or walls and no roof directly below the nestentrance. The birds need to have direct flight in and out (these birds do not perchso must have direct flight path to swoop in and drop out of the nest entrance)NOT directly under or close to spotlights/floodlight because these wouldblind birds entering or leaving the nest boxes in the evening. They will enterand leave nest sites in the near darkNOT near flapping flags because birds could collide with these when leavingnest siteNOT immediately next to clear glazed windowsBoth models of nest box can be built into exterior cement block and brick walls.They can also be incorporated into walls fitted with blocks of external insulation.PICTURE 2.Westport Town Hall – Swifts looking into twoof the nest box entrances (June 2018)6BUILDING NEST BOXES FOR THE SWIFT INTO CEMENT BLOCK AND BRICK WALLS

CAN THE NEST BOXES BE PLACED ONE ABOVE THE OTHER?NO - they must either be placed side by side or staggered (see photos below)This is so that the birds do not collide when approaching their nest boxes atspeed – the usual approach speed is 50 kilometres per hour.PICTURE 3.Nest boxes side-by-side in horizontal row at Edgeworthstown libraryPICTURE 3A.Staggered Woodstone nest boxesBUILDING NEST BOXES FOR THE SWIFT INTO CEMENT BLOCK AND BRICK WALLS7

ABOUT THE WOODSTONE BUILD-IN SWIFT NEST BOX DEEPWoodstone nest box products are made by VivaraPro. In 2012, following severalyears of research, development and trials, they launched the WoodStone range.They are made from a mix of concrete and responsibly sourced wood fibresAccording to VivaraPro this mix of materials provides: Excellent insulating properties which give a more consistent internal temperatureA very durable exterior which makes the boxes resistant to all weather conditionsThey are breathable, avoiding problems with condensationPROS: The nest compartment dimensions provide an adequate space for breeding SwiftsThe builders find it easy to work with because it is a similar size to a cement blockIt can also be installed in a brick wallIt is readily available with delivery time usually in a matter of weeksVery cost effectiveExternal DimensionsNest Compartment DimensionsLENGTH: 42cmLENGTH: 38cmDEPTH: 15.5cmDEPTH: 13cmHEIGHT: 18cmHEIGHT: 14cmWeight: 5.3kgEntrance hole dimensions: 29-30mm high x 60mm wideThe Woodstone Swift Nest Box Deep (image below) has a shallow nest concave inthe floor and ceiling of the box which means there is no risk of installing the nestbox the wrong way up.See Appendix 1 (page 15) for information on where to buy the Woodstone Swift Nest Box Deep8BUILDING NEST BOXES FOR THE SWIFT INTO CEMENT BLOCK AND BRICK WALLS

INSTALLING THE WOODSTONE SWIFT NEST BOX DEEPPICTURE 4.The nest boxes can easily beincorporated into a block wallThe insulation in thecavity can simplycontinue behind theblock, so there is nothermal bridge.If insulation has tobe cut away, it isimportant to cut theinsulation aroundthe circumferenceof the block.PICTURE 5.The nest box protrudes a few centimetresinto the cavity but there is room for insulationPICTURE 6.Five Woodstone nest boxes incorporated in walls of Ballinrobe N.S.BUILDING NEST BOXES FOR THE SWIFT INTO CEMENT BLOCK AND BRICK WALLS9

INSTALLING THE WOODSTONE SWIFT NEST BOX DEEP cont.PROTECTING THE ENTRANCE HOLEPICTURE 7.A piece of foam insulation isplaced in the entrance holePlacing of a piece offoam insulation in theentrance ensures the holeis protected from beingaltered in size during therendering process. BUTit must be removed oncethe rendering is finished.PICTURE 7A.Ballinrobe NS projectcompleted in 2020PICTURE 8.Woodstone Swift Nest Box Deep installedin red brick gable wall at Partry NS10BUILDING NEST BOXES FOR THE SWIFT INTO CEMENT BLOCK AND BRICK WALLS

ABOUT THE SCHWEGLER 17A TRIPLE ENTRANCE/CAVITY NEST BOXSchwegler is a company based in Germany.The Schwegler 17A is made from a wood-concrete mix which, according toSchwegler gives them excellent insulation as well as breathability and longevity.Their nest boxes are a high quality species-specific design, breathable andresistant to weather.PROS: The Schwegler has been designed to be built into a wallIt is a triple entrance/compartment nest box which can be built into a wallreplacing cement blocksCONS: This box is close to a metre long and so we recommend that nest boxes arecapped with a lintel to provide additional strengthRelatively expensive compared to Woodstone nest boxDelivery time can take up to 4 monthsExternal Dimensions of this tripleentrance/cavity nest boxNest CompartmentDimensionsLENGTH: 98cmLENGTH: 30cmDEPTH: 15cmDEPTH: 14cmHEIGHT: 15cmHEIGHT: 14cmWeight: approx. 7.1 kg.Entrance hole dimensions: 29mm high x 65mm wideSee Appendix 1 (page 16) for information on where to buy Schwegler 17A nest boxes.BUILDING NEST BOXES FOR THE SWIFT INTO CEMENT BLOCK AND BRICK WALLS11

INSTALLING THE SCHWEGLER 17APICTURE 9.The nest boxes can easily be incorporated into a block wallPICTURE 10.Lintel is placed above the Schwegler 17A nest boxPICTURE 11.Nest boxes staggered in two rowsPICTURE 12.Nest boxes in a horizontal row next to each other12BUILDING NEST BOXES FOR THE SWIFT INTO CEMENT BLOCK AND BRICK WALLS