Where Do Swifts Nest? Roofs, Eaves and Swift Boxes

Where: Holes high in buildings: under tiles, in eaves, in old walls
Nest: A small flat cup of feathers and bits caught in the air
When: Here from late April or May until July or August
Eggs: Usually 2 or 3, around three weeks of sitting
Broods: One
Fledging: About 5 to 8 weeks, depending on the weather
Nest box: A swift box under the eaves, at least 5 m up

Where swifts nest

Swifts spend almost their whole lives in the air. They eat, drink and even sleep on the wing, and the only time they really land is to nest. In Britain that means buildings: narrow gaps under roof tiles, holes in the eaves and soffits, crevices high in the walls of churches and older houses.

The hole has to be high, with a clear drop below it, because a swift needs to be able to fall out of it into flight. And it has to be the right hole: a pair comes back to the same one year after year. When a roof is replaced or the gaps are sealed, those birds come back from Africa to find their home gone, which is a big part of why swifts are in trouble.

What a swift’s nest looks like

Small and flat. Swifts cannot pick things up off the ground, so the nest is made of what they catch in the air: feathers, bits of plant fluff, seeds and scraps of paper, stuck together with their own saliva. Because they return to the same hole, it gets topped up a little each year rather than built from scratch.

When swifts nest

Swifts are only here for a few months. They arrive from late April, mostly in May, and nest through June and July. There are usually two or three eggs, and both parents sit on them for around three weeks.

How long the chicks take to fly depends a lot on the weather, anything from about five to eight weeks. In a cold, wet spell when there are few insects in the air, the chicks can slow right down and survive for days without food. Once they leave, they are off: a young swift is thought to stay in the air for two years or more before it first lands to nest. Most leave in late July and August, though a few stay into September.

How to help swifts nest

Swifts are on the Red list, and they are one of the birds where a house really can make a difference:

Keep existing nest holes. If swifts nest in your roof, do any roof or soffit work between September and April, and keep their entrance open afterwards.
Put up a swift box. Fix it tight under the eaves, at least 5 metres up, facing north or east, with a clear drop below. The RSPB’s ready-made box has an oval entrance about 28 by 65 mm, which keeps starlings out.
Ask for swift bricks. If you are building or renovating, swift bricks go into the wall itself. A builder needs to fit them.
Be patient. Young swifts usually do not breed until they are about four, so a new box can take a few summers to be found.

Checked against: RSPB: Swift, RSPB: Create a high home for swifts, BTO BirdFacts: Swift. Last checked 8 November 2026.

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Good to know

Questions

Do swifts nest in trees?

In Britain, almost never. They nest in buildings, in holes high up with a clear drop below.

When do swifts arrive and leave?

They arrive from late April, mostly in May, and most leave in late July and August, though a few stay into September.

Do swifts come back to the same nest?

Yes. A pair returns to the same hole every year, which is why blocking it during building work does so much harm.

Is it illegal to block a swift’s nest?

It is illegal to damage or destroy any wild bird’s nest while it is in use, so roof work that blocks an active swift nest can be an offence. Plan it for outside the summer.