Wildlife by month

Look out for swifts arriving to breed in early summer. Swifts are incredible birds, once they leave the nest they can spend up to three years in the air without landing. They eat, sleep and socialise on the wing, and migrate between Europe and Africa every year.

Swift by Billy Lindblom

If you are lucky and have swifts nesting in your area, you will hear ‘screaming parties’ as they fly near their nest sites late in the day in summer. They usually nest in the eaves of buildings, and will return to the same site year after year. Swift numbers have gone down and one of the ways we can help them is by knowing where they nest. If you have seen a screaming party of swifts or know of a nest, record nesting swifts with RSPB or email biodiversity@edinburgh.gov.uk.