London based artist Andrew Merritt, was commissioned by Cambridge City Council to design the tower. It was constructed in 2011, and funded by developer contributions to help counter a decline in the swift population.
Swifts have an amazing, mainly aerial existence, spending the majority of the year in the skies over Africa. They return to the same nest sites every year in homes and places of work, but unfortunately they are declining. One likely cause is loss of nest sites as buildings are renovated, insulated and rebuilt.
Local volunteers from Action For Swifts worked with the council and the artist to ensure the tower would provide ideal high-rise accommodation for these spectacular summer visitors. Since the opening, recorded swift calls have been played from May to July to attract young birds to take up residence and form a new colony.
Swifts have shown interest in previous summers but this is the first year birds have been seen entering boxes on both the front and back of the tower. Up to 10 birds are now regularly wheeling around the structure and creating the spectacle that was envisaged at the start of the project.
Cllr Carina O’Reilly, Executive Councillor for City Centre and Public Places said:
“This is fantastic news for this innovative project, which is helping biodiversity in the city by providing a habitat for this important species. I would like to thank the volunteers who have worked with us to ensure the calls keep playing to attract the birds. Now that the swifts have found it, it should provide a great spectacle every summer as the birds demonstrate their exhilarating flying skills around the tower.”
Bob Tonks of Action For Swifts, who first reported swifts entering the nest boxes on 23 June said:
“I often cycle past the tower and always keep a look out. It is great news that the birds have finally cracked it.”
Guy Belcher, Nature Conservation Officer for Cambridge City Council, said:
“Although these young birds are not expected to breed this year, the activity is extremely encouraging and we predict breeders next year, following their return from Southern Africa.”
The Swift Tower ultimately could home a large colony but equally importantly, it raises awareness of swifts and how Cambridge residents and visitors can help through preserving nest sites or putting up nest boxes.
The Swift Tower sits within an extension to the riverside Logan's Meadow Local Nature Reserve, where work to create a River Cam backwater and a new reedbed also begins this week.