A church tower in Essex has become a sanctuary for migrating swifts, through nesting boxes installed at St Peter’s Tower in Maldon.

Local volunteers from the Essex Swift Recovery Project built and installed a dozen swift shelter boxes at the historic church. The boxes are larger than usual, designed to accommodate the swift’s 42cm (16.5in) wingspan, and are placed high in the tower to provide an ideal nesting site.

Swifts are known for their preference to nest in the eaves of old buildings, especially churches, as these sites are typically more than 5 metres above ground - a crucial requirement, as fledgling swifts learn to fly in the split-second before hitting the ground. With their long wings and almost no legs, swifts cannot take off again if they land on the ground, making high, safe nesting sites essential for their survival.

John Le Seve from the Essex Swift Recovery Project told the BBC: “There’s a church in Bury St Edmunds and last year they had 54 nesting swifts in the church towers, so we’re hoping maybe eventually one of the churches in Essex will have a similar amount.”

The project has already installed swift chambers, each housing 12 nests, in five Essex church towers, with three more locations approved.

The new boxes were unveiled on Saturday afternoon at St Peter’s, marking another step in the ongoing effort to support the declining swift population. Plans are also underway to add 12 more nesting boxes to the Maeldune Centre’s tower in Maldon.