Swifts, swallows and martins
How to identify swifts, swallows, sand martins and house martins
How to identify swifts, swallows, sand martins and house martins
The easiest way to find out if the nocturnal and well-camouflaged nightjar is about is to listen out for its distinctive 'churring' call at dusk. A summer visitor, it is most numerous in…
Look out for the swallow performing great aerial feats as it catches its insect-prey on the wing. You may also see it perching on a wire, or roosting in a reedbed, as it makes its way back to…
Covid, and the lockdowns that came with it, has meant that many of us are spending more time at home, and perhaps looking for ways to extend the living space.
Swifts spend most of their lives flying – even sleeping, eating and drinking – only ever landing to nest. They like to nest in older buildings in small holes in roof spaces.
Swift expert Sarah Gibson explores the early life of these brilliant birds