Grounded Swifts
If you find a grounded Swift, it is in trouble – and needs help from a human.
Swifts are not designed to land, except when they fly into their nest site, hidden in a hole in the wall or under the eaves of a building, or in a Swift box or brick.
If they land on the ground, they can’t (usually) take off again - they only take off from the entrance to their nest, which is always at a significant height. There are various reasons why a Swift may become grounded – how we can help it will depend on diagnosing the reason.
They may be fully grown but exhausted, chilled and dehydrated; they may be injured; they may be an immature chick that has fallen from its nest, or on older chick which has tried to fledge but is malnourished and not strong enough to fly and spend its life on the wing.
The basic advice for helping a grounded Swift is:
Don’t throw it in the air –
Don’t feed it –
Don’t delay!
Some advice on what you can do straight away can be found here What you can do
To do this, you will need some basic equipment, most of all a cardboard box; and also, if possible, a cotton bud or artist’s paintbrush, an old towel, and a small plastic bottle – there’s more detail here Equipment list
Beyond rescuing it from immediate harm, which most people can do, a grounded Swift may need specialist help. Please don’t hesitate to seek advice from the experts:
The Animal Rescue Centre, Kendal College 01539 814 645 (10am – 4pm, Monday - Friday)
Or Sue Rowlands, Penrith Swifts 07913 775 442 or 01768 484 881
Or, as a last resort, Nicki Baker, Keswick Swifts, 07942 144 109.
If you’ve found a grounded Swift – good luck, and thank you for trying to help it!
Uninjured Adult Swifts
An uninjured adult Swift that has become grounded may just need a bit of help to get re-launched; if it’s exhausted, it may also need to rest, first.
When a Swift is ready to have another go at flying, it will look more perky and may be moving about a bit. The next step is to give it the opportunity to take off again, in its own time, from somewhere safe.
Whatever you do, don’t throw it in the air, and don’t launch it out of a window etc!
Ideally, take the bird in its box to a grassy area with a bit of a slope, such as Crow Park; stand somewhere that faces downhill. This gives a better chance of the Swift getting airborne, and a softer landing if it can’t make it.
Very carefully, take your Swift out of the box. Hold it in your hands. Extend your arm horizontally and open your hand. Keep your hand and arm still. The bird will decide if and when it’s ready to fly and will take off.