Celebrating Swift Awareness Week 2026
Swift Awareness Week runs from Saturday 27 June to Sunday 5 July 2026, celebrating one of the UK’s extraordinary summer visitors, the Swift.
Swift Awareness Week runs from Saturday 27 June to Sunday 5 July 2026. First launched in 2018, the week encourages people across the UK to celebrate Swifts, raise awareness of their decline and take action to help protect them.
At WWT London Wetland Centre, Swifts are a familiar sight, swooping over the reserve in search of flying insects. Wetlands provide an important habitat for a huge variety of insects, making them valuable feeding grounds for these incredible birds.
Every spring, Swifts return to the UK after travelling thousands of miles from sub-Saharan Africa to breed. They are remarkable visitors, spending almost their entire lives in the air. In fact, young Swifts can spend the first two to three years of their lives without landing, eating, drinking and even sleeping while on the wing. Adult Swifts only land during the breeding season, returning to nest and raise their young before heading back to Africa later in the summer.
Sadly, Swift numbers have declined dramatically in recent decades, and they are now on the UK Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern. One of the biggest reasons for this decline is the loss of nesting spaces in buildings as older properties are renovated or repaired. Fewer insects, which Swifts rely on for food, have also had an impact.
There are lots of ways you can help. Installing a Swift nest box or Swift brick, recording sightings and supporting conservation projects all make a difference. During Swift Awareness Week, you can also take part in walks, talks and events happening across the country to learn more about these fascinating birds and the simple actions that can help them thrive.
