Why are bird boxes going up in Halifax: Dozens of nest boxes installed in Halifax and Todmorden to protect endangered birds

Calderdale Council is teaming up with the RSPB and Calderdale Bird Conservation Group for the Calderdale Swift Project.

Aiming to address the decline in the swift population, the scheme is seeing free swift nesting boxes installed at homes across Calderdale.

The council says swift populations in the UK declined by 62 per cent between 1995 and 2021, primarily because of habitat loss, a reduction in insect numbers and shifting weather patterns.

Swifts journey from Africa to the UK every April and May, and the loss of suitable nest sites is a major problem for the species.

Residents were invited to apply for a free nest box and, after being overwhelmed with interest from across the borough, the project organisers have decided to focus on two key areas of Todmorden and north Halifax.

They say these areas have been identified using data from the RSPB’s Swift Mapper and the Calderdale Bird Conservation Group as “key hotspots for swift activity” in Calderdale.

Sixty nest boxes are now being installed at houses in these locations.

Those elsewhere who registered their interest will be contacted if it is possible to expand the scheme at a later date.

Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for Climate Action and Housing, Coun Scott Patient, said: “It’s fantastic that so many people registered their interest in having a swift box on their property.

"This shows the passion that local people have for making a difference for nature and there are lots of simple ways we can all support our natural environment and wildlife.”