Swift tower installed in University Parks

In her capacity as a Curator of the University Parks, Professor Amy Zavatsky (Tutor in Engineering) attended an event on 14 March to celebrate the installation of a ‘swift tower’ in the Parks. This project was part of the Oxford Swift City project, which is aimed at providing more nesting spaces for swifts, whose UK breeding population decreased by a shocking 51% from 1995 to 2015.

Volunteers are needed to help with the project’s summer survey of swifts in the city – anyone interested in getting involved should email oxfordswiftcity@rspb.org.uk. The Oxford University Museum of Natural History, near the University Parks, has been home to many generations of swifts over the years, and the study of this particular population – dating from 1946 – is one of the longest ever continuous studies of its kind. Information and webcam footage of the nests when occupied in summer are available on their website.

Oxford Swift City project