Swifts urgently need your help!

Leeds Swifts is a dedicated, experienced group of volunteers committed to saving and protecting our city's Swifts.

Why? In the last 20 years Swift numbers in the UK have plummeted by over 60%, mainly through loss of nesting sites in buildings due to modern building methods and renovation.

Our mission every year is to give our Swifts a much needed helping hand to keep as many of these endangered but amazing birds flying in our skies.

From April to September each year we run a 24/7 Swift Sanctuary to look after injured and grounded Swifts (as well as House Martins and Swallows). Every Swift is precious because they are so endangered. That’s why the work we do is so vital to try to save and protect as many of them as we can.

These birds need specialist and dedicated care which we are able to provide but which we cannot do without the kind and generous donations from our supporters and the public.

The Swift Sanctuary is run by our co-founder, Linda Jenkinson, from her home in Leeds, supported by a small but growing network of helpers.

It’s rewarding but demanding work. Our running costs are high - around £1,000 each year or about £12 per week for every Swift. That’s why most of our fund-raising efforts are focussed on keeping our Swift Sanctuary open to meet growing demands from across the city and beyond.

Running costs include providing food for the birds (crickets, wax moth larvae, bee drone larvae and flies), heating to keep the young and vulnerable birds at the optimum temperature needed to survive, washing and cleaning bedding, etc.

We also need to cover transport costs to support our on-call taxi service of volunteers who go out to collect injured Swifts from across our city and wider area. Our grounded Swifts are received from all parts of Yorkshire because of the specialist care we can provide.

Last summer Linda looked after a record number of birds in the Swift Sanctuary: a total of 121 birds (81 Swifts, 23 House Martins and 17 Swallows). At the peak of the breeding season, Linda was looking after nearly 50 birds at one time.

Amazingly, 76% of all these birds were successfully returned to the wild and able to start their long journey south to spend the winter months in Africa. Unfortunately some birds arrive into the Sanctuary that are too poorly to be saved, especially during hot weather, but none of the birds which come into Linda’s care would stand any chance of survival without the life saving opportunity they get in the Swift Sanctuary.

As well as running our Swift Sanctuary we work tirelessly throughout the year promoting Swift conservation. Much of our effort is focussed on working with local communities to expand existing Swift colonies across the city by installing nest boxes and call systems on a range of homes and buildings. Our aim is to encourage more Swifts to nest and expand these traditional colonies and make sure they are nurtured and protected.

Please donate whatever you can – every donation makes a real difference.

Last year your donations helped to keep the doors of our Sanctuary open and provided a new incubator which enabled us to raise and fledge Swifts, Swallows and House Martins from just tiny chicks.

Every single donation is appreciated and helps make a real difference. Your donations make sure we can continue and expand our vital Swift conservation work.

Thank you!

If you'd like to find out more about what we do or get involved in any way, please visit our Leeds Swifts Facebook or our website.

Leeds Swifts is part of an international and national network of volunteer Swift conservationists working together to reverse the decline of Swifts.