A Swoop of Swifts
A collection of bold, abstract mixed-media drawings exploring the challenges swifts face as they navigate the urban environment in search of suitable nesting sites. Built up through as many as six layers of ink, wax pastel, pencil, charcoal and soft pastel, each work captures the movement of these remarkable birds while highlighting the growing difficulties they encounter in finding a place to nest.
Created in 2018 in response to the RSPB’s latest Swift project.
The series was created in response to the dramatic decline in the UK’s breeding swift population, which fell by 51% between 1995 and 2005. One of the key threats facing swifts is the loss of nesting sites as older buildings are renovated or demolished. Swifts return to the same nesting sites year after year, only to find that familiar entrances have been blocked or their nests have disappeared. Modern buildings often lack the crevices and cavities these birds need to raise their young, further reducing opportunities for successful nesting.
Through expressive mark-making, layered textures and abstract forms, the drawings bring attention to the vulnerability of swifts within our changing urban landscapes, encouraging greater awareness of the importance of protecting existing nest sites and creating new ones.
To learn how to identify swifts, submit your sightings, or find out more about swift nest boxes and swift bricks, visit the RSPB’s Swift conservation website.