Swift Box No. 16S

Firstly: no-one who is seriously concerned about the protection of species has any objections to Starlings – quite the contrary. In designing starling barriers the intention is to assist the protection of all species. Therefore we supply also various different types of nesting boxes specifically for Starlings. However, we have to accept that Starlings can present a problem when they nest on buildings, usually ­because of the mess that they make on and around the building, for example on "prestige" buildings or in areas used by the public. This often results in a reduction in the number of nesting aids for Swifts, which in turn means that fewer breeding areas are available for them. Where nesting boxes are occupied by Swifts their habits definitely do not result in the fouling of buildings. Selective projects for monitoring Swifts have shown how welcome this starling barrier is as a means of reducing unwanted occupancy.

The anatomy of the Starling (long legs etc.) prevents it from getting through the barrier and into the brood chamber that lies behind it. Swifts have very short legs, enabling them to easily gain access through this tunnel. Tests conducted over many years have proved the effectiveness of this system.

Installing the barriers in existing boxes/places:
Barriers should not be installed in existing brood boxes because the Swifts enter the box at a high speed and can injure their beaks. It is well known that when Swifts return to their previous year’s sites they tend to fly "blind".