Thanks to your support, Scotland’s Natural Environment Bill includes a key measure to help save Swifts.
Thanks to thousands of RSPB campaigners, supporters and nature lovers who contacted their MSPs, Swifts in Scotland are now a major step closer to having more of the safe nesting sites they desperately need.
Scotland made history yesterday by becoming the first UK country to introduce a legal requirement that should see nesting bricks for Swifts included in new buildings.
A lifeline for a threatened species
This is an incredibly important step which will help reverse the decline of one of our most threatened species.
The distinctive ‘screaming’ calls of Swifts are a sure sign that summer has arrived, but numbers of this iconic migrant bird have plummeted in recent years – nearly two out of every three Swifts in the UK have been lost since the mid-1990s.
There are many reasons for the declines including reduced availability of insects to eat, loss of nest sites and climate change. But there’s also plenty of evidence that when we provide nest sites for them in buildings, these are regularly occupied and allow Swifts to breed successfully.
Ensuring Swift bricks are included in new buildings is a simple, cheap and effective measure that will help save this beautiful and remarkable creature.
What about the rest of the UK?
Attempts to introduce a legal requirement for Swift bricks in new buildings in the rest of the UK, have so far failed or barely begun.
In England, there was a recent opportunity via an amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, but the House of Lords voted against the measure. In Wales, following a successful petition, the proposal was debated in the Senedd, but was rejected despite the urgency and cross-party support. In Northern Ireland there is cross-party interest and we are investigating the potential for legislation.
Significant cross-party support in the Scottish Parliament has resulted in real hope for Swifts. Now the focus will turn to the next Scottish Government to implement this measure – and for other governments in the UK to follow Scotland’s lead.
Targets to restore nature and more
Yesterday’s passing of the Natural Environment Bill in the Scottish Parliament is a turning point for Scotland’s nature. New requirements on Scottish Government to set legally-binding nature targets for the first-time ever should kickstart the recovery of Scotland’s internationally important species and habitats.
In more good news for nature, the Bill also requires the Scottish Government to increase the level of legal protection given to Scotland’s internationally important Ramsar Wetlands, which include places such as Loch Lomond and the expansive peatlands of the Flow Country.
Scotland is famous for its wildlife and landscapes, but not all is as it seems. The latest State of Nature report revealed that one in nine Scottish species faces extinction including Puffins, Red Squirrels and Swifts. And, globally, Scotland is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world (ranking 28th from bottom out of 240 countries/territories for biodiversity intactness).
This new legislation could be the mechanism to turn things around with measures designed to support the urgent action required to protect and restore nature across Scotland.
What happens next?
The Scottish Government has stated that it will need to consult on measures to require Swift bricks before this legal requirement is fully brought into force. We will be watching closely to make sure this happens without delay – Swifts cannot afford to wait.