The South-East of the UK has lost an estimated 75% of its Swifts since 1994. Hampshire Swifts was set up in 2016 to address the decline of Swifts in the county. In this talk, Catharine Gale, a trustee of the charity, will first tell us all about this iconic bird species, covering its identification, how it differs from Swallows and Martins, its feeding habits, migration, breeding behaviour and the reasons for its dramatic decline. She will then describe what Hampshire Swifts has been doing to try to reverse Swifts’ decline and highlight the Basingstoke Swift Streets campaign which aims to achieve an increase in the population of Swifts (and House Martins) in the borough of Basingstoke and Deane through the installation of multiple artificial nest sites. The talk will finish with recommendations for how we can help ensure these beautiful birds remain an essential part of our summer.
Photo by Robert Booth
This talk is free, but refreshments can be purchased.
Please note, this talk will be taking place on the second floor, which is only accessible via stairs.
