Since humans have been making dwellings, swifts have sought to live alongside them, usually finding gaps between the tops of the walls and the roves, looking for the highest places and the clearest flight paths.

Before that, they would probably have chosen holes in cliffs and trees as their natural habitat.

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The Consequences of Modern-Day Housing for Swifts

Holes in houses are an anathema in modern times, letting heat out and drafts in.

New houses usually don’t even have eaves to nest under.

Swifts often return to find their historic homes have disappeared and there is nowhere for them to nest.

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So, where should I site my Swift Box?

Swifts seem to be attracted to the underneath of bargeboards, corner boxes, and drain pipes.

• Place your box on the wall of a building, preferably under the eaves, and around 5m above the ground and with a clear path for Swifts to fly into. Something high up is desirable although they have been known to nest as low as 1.5 metres.
• The box shouldn't be in direct sunlight for long periods of time, so preferably place it on a wall that faces around the North or East. If this is unavoidable, try painting the box white to reflect the heat, but do not paint over the dark entrance on the ladders.
• The wall can help make the hole obvious, and always make sure that the swifts have a good, clear approach both below and in front, avoiding obstacles like tree branches and telephone wires. A swift will approach its nest by flying down and then up to the nest site at speed, the upward swoop helps it slow down to land.
• To be safe, avoid fixing it over doorways, windows or walkways, just in case it falls.
• Swifts are sensitive to disturbance, so watch the nest box from the ground or install a camera inside before the breeding season starts.

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Mounting the Box

• Screw the separate mounting plate at least 2 cm below the top of where the box will be, with suitable screws for the material of the wall (not provided).
• Open the top and bottom outer doors of the box. You can then hook the box on the plate and screw it onto the mounting plate with the screws provided.

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Front Opening vs. Ladder Entry

There's really one reason we offer 2 different entry designs for our swift under eave boxes. It's a matter of localised preferences for the swift population.

If the swifts in your area are more used to nesting in bargeboards or under eaves, then it is likely that a ladder-entry design will suit them better. They will be looking for nesting spaces in that orientation. Alternatively, if the natural architecture of the area means there are lots of natural crevasses at eye level for swifts to nest in - then it is likely that a front entry box would be more successful.

So what's the best way to tell what the local swift population does? Really it's a matter of observation. If there are loads of front entry swift boxes (that have nesting pairs) in the area - then front entry is likely to be more successful. The same goes for ladder-entry boxes.