Swifts and Us - Wild Reads 2023

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Swifts and Us, Sarah Gibson

Wild Reads Swifts and Us

Swifts live almost entirely in the air. They eat, drink, sleep, mate and gather their nesting materials on the wing, fly thousands of miles across the world, navigating their way around storms, never lighting on tree, cliff or ground, until they return home with the summer.

Sarah Gibson has written a fascinating story of discovery, exploring what is known about these mysterious birds, their ancient ancestry and how they have been regarded through history. But the swifts are in real danger: often unintentionally, we are sealing our homes against wildlife of any kind. Cracks, gaps and crevices which for thousands of years have offered nesting space in buildings, are being closed off, while new housing rarely offers entry holes for nesting birds. Loss of breeding places is considered to be a significant factor in the steep decline of these birds over the last twenty years.
 
Thankfully, there are people in the UK and across Europe striving to ensure a future for swifts. Their actions and stories are woven into the narrative, demonstrating how change is brought about by passionate, determined individuals, whose actions show that everyone can do something to keep these superb birds screaming through our skies.

About the author

Sarah Gibson is a nature writer and the Communications Officer for Shropshire Wildlife Trust.

Swifts and Us is her first book, inspired by a comment from a keen swift conservationist “When people hear the astonishing story of the swift’s aerial life, and how their numbers are plummeting, they want to do something to help them.”

 

Wild Reads - Sarah Gibson
Wild Reads Book list 2023

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Wild Reads is a partnership project between Suffolk Libraries and Suffolk Wildlife Trust to promote our connection between the natural world and the written word.

Wild Reads aims to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the very best nature writing. The aim is to help inspire and ignite a love of nature in readers through the lenses of a wide variety of writers.

Visit Suffolk Libraries website here for the full Wild Reads booklist. 

How to help our local swifts

Feeling inspired to help swifts? We have lots of resources to help you look after our local swift populations, You can find out more about swifts on our website here,  including our SOS Swift Group - a joint initiative between Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Suffolk Ornithologists' Group to raise awareness of the threats faced by swifts.

 

Download our gardening guide for swifts, swallows and house martin guide here

Other Wild Reads in our booklist