Leitrim Swift Survey

Swifts are a small migratory bird that visits Ireland each year to nest. They travel from southern Africa where they have spent over eight months of the year. Swifts have adapted to nesting in cavities found in buildings in our cities, towns, and villages.

Their future is seriously threatened in Ireland due primarily to the loss of nesting sites. From May to August each year you can encounter swifts, you will usually hear them before you see them, their distinctive 'screaming' call is uttered on the wing as they fly superbly over rooftops at high speed. However, the good news is that there is a lot that can be done to halt the decline in Leitrim’s swift population. The support and active engagement of local communities is critical to building greater awareness of this unique bird species and in undertaking conservation action where it is most needed.

In 2020, BirdWatch Ireland conducted a Swift Survey in County Leitrim. Tidy Towns groups, community groups and interested individuals played a vital role in the survey and continue to support swift conservation by undertaking projects to directly help conserve swifts in their localities. 

Watch the video below to find out more about swifts and the 2020 County Leitrim Swift Survey: 

You can also download the Saving Swifts guide here.

The 'County Leitrim Swift Survey 2020' was an initiative of the Leitrim Heritage Office and Leitrim County Council and was funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service’s Local Biodiversity Action Fund. (LBAF)