Swift action
How to save a vulnerable bird species from extinction
Human impact on the environment is huge, but our actions can have positive effects, not just negative ones.
While wild populations of plants and animals are declining rapidly, it is not all bad news. Across the world, people and communities are working hard to combat biodiversity loss. They are restoring and protecting natural habitats, cleaning up pollution, rebuilding wild populations, tackling the illegal wildlife trade, and putting pressure on governments to address climate change.
Here in Oxford, the Swift City project is working to tackle a rapid decline in the population of one of our most beloved birds – the Common Swift.
The tower at the Museum of Natural History is a favourite nesting site for swifts.
Its colony has been the subject of a research study since 1947 – one of the longest continually studied bird populations in the world. The research has revealed a shocking decline in swift numbers in recent years.
Each year in the early summer, swifts fly from Africa to Europe and Asia to breed. They usually nest in colonies, with each breeding pair finding a nook or cavity in which to lay eggs and rear chicks. Historically, caves and tall trees have provided nesting sites for swifts, but these days swifts tend to nest in buildings — high enough above the ground that they can launch themselves into flight. The Museum's tower is an example of swifts adapting to human-made nesting sites.
By late August, most swifts have departed their nesting sites and set off back to Africa. The 7,000 mile-long journey takes the swifts about four weeks.
Since 1994, the UK swift population has nearly halved due to declines in nesting sites and food.
Chris Jarvis tells us about the reasons for this population decline, and what we can do to reverse it.
With Chris Jarvis
Conservation efforts around the world
To exist in balance with the rest of the natural world, nations, businesses and individuals will need to take action on a global scale.
But all our efforts – even at a local level – can combine to produce change for the better. Here are some other examples of conservation efforts around the world.
Visit the Positive action display
Opened between 2022 and 2024, our new displays on biodiversity showcase the variety of life on Earth and consider important questions about preserving this diversity for future generations.
The Positive action display explores conservation efforts around the world using specimens from the Museum's collections.
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