Swift numbers plummeting as Scotland’s fastest bird suffers speedy decline

More than half of Scotland’s breeding population of swifts has vanished in just 25 years, according to a new report.

The “significant decline” of the swift north of the border is highlighted in the latest annual Breeding Bird Survey report into the fortunes of 118 UK species.

Scotland’s fastest-flying birds, the iconic summer visitors used to be seen and heard in large numbers swooping across rooftops in urban areas.

But the latest official statistics show that between 1995 and 2020 the breeding population plummeted in Scotland by 59%.

Moreover, the shorter-term trend reveals the species declined by 49% in just two years between 2019-2021.

Reasons for this include a fall in suitable breeding spots in old, high buildings together with a lack of flying insects affecting fledgling success. Current research is also attempting to identify other possible factors in their wintering grounds in Africa.