Offaly bucking the trend with population of rare bird species

The now rare and charismatic Common Swift has managed to buck the trend in Offaly with their nesting numbers remaining on par with that of the 2017 nest census following a repeat census in summer 2023.

In 2017 Offaly County Council commissioned BirdWatch Ireland to complete the first ever full-county swift nest census. After a gap of five years both organisations teamed up again in 2023 to assess the current situation and the results are very positive.

Ricky Whelan Biodiversity Officer at Offaly County Council explains “Swifts are small migratory birds that travel from Southern Africa each spring to their nest sites in Europe and further east. They are slightly larger than the more familiar Swallow and often mistaken as so, however the Swifts body and wings are slate-grey lacking the white underparts of a

Swallow and has characteristic sickle-shaped wings and a blunt forked-tail. Swifts nest in buildings where they can find access to a small cavity where they will construct a tiny nest cup and raise their young. They are site-faithful meaning they return to the exact same nest annually, this can give rise to problems when buildings are altered or even demolished meaning large nest colonies can be lost overnight.”

Swifts, due to declines across their range are considered a bird of conservation concern in Ireland and it is for this reason that much effort is being made locally and nationally by local authorities, wildlife conservation bodies, voluntary groups and individuals to change their faith. Swifts have shown an almost 60% decline in Ireland in less that two decades that is why the recent survey results in Offaly are overwhelmingly positive.

Below soaring swifts

Brian Caffrey Survey and Monitoring Lead at BirdWatch Ireland said “We repeated the methods we used in the 2023 survey as in 2017, making the results directly comparable. We were delighted to see numbers remain almost constant in Offaly following the 2023 survey.”

The survey results showed that 162 active nest sites were identified in 2023 compared to 2017 when 165 were identified, albeit a small decline, this figure represents nothing close to the level of declines previously observed and forecast. Of the 20 Offaly localities surveyed Birr, Banagher and Tullamore came out as the top spots for nesting swifts with 32, 30 and 25 nests being recorded respectively with an increase of 9 recorded in the wider Birr area. Birr takes forward the bragging rights having seized the swift hot spot title from Banagher.

However, all is not positive with notable declines and losses from a number of localities. Edenderry had 9 fewer nests compared with 2017, Shinrone was down 5 nests leaving only 1 remaining and maybe most notable was the single nest at Clonmacnoise was not located in 2023. This nest achieved international fame in past years amongst swift experts for being one of the lowest swift nests ever recorded.

Ricky Whelan reflected on what has been going on behind the scenes in Offaly to retain its nesting Swift population “It’s not luck that got us here, since the 2017 survey there has been a concerted effort to actively protect Swift nest sites and create new and permanent nestsites for them in Offaly. Collaborations between the Offaly County Council Heritage Officer, Birdwatch Ireland, Tidy Towns groups, individuals and building owners have resulted in existing sites being protected, new specialised nest boxes being installed and increased awareness built.  Swifts will feature as conservation priority in the upcoming Offaly Biodiversity Action Plan due to be published by the end of the year.”

Swifts return from Africa in the first weeks of May so keep your eyes to the skies and try spot them before they’re gone south again from early-August.

The 2023 report together with the 2017 report can be found on the Offaly County Council website biodiversity section.