Zofia Brzozowska „Save our birds” Szczecin, Poland www. ratujmyptaki.org Swifts in Poland

My name is Zofia Brzozowska and I am manager of the registered, charitable trust „Save our birds” that was set up in nineteen ninety-eight. Unfortunately, we have no professional bird or animal rescue and rehabilitation centre in our city, Szczecin, in north west part of Poland. That’s why I have to do most of the rescue work from my own flatTo learn more about us and our work in the rescue, please check our website

Since the setting up of the trust, we have rescued more than 1500 birds from 96 species, about 70 mammals from 11 species. About 75 % of them have survived and have been released into the wild. We are able to take in about 20 new birds per month, but everything depends of course how many of them need help.

Every year, as usual during the winter and spring months, we also have a large number of fox cubs, martens, young deer, wild boar, squirrels and hedgehogs. Our running cost are huge and increase very fast, we are completely dependent upon donations and voluntary assistance.

Each year we get a large number of injured, orphaned and sick swifts. Since 1998 we had 234, and we have rescued 213 of them. I am afraid, that I am the one and only person prepared to tell you the truth about the situation with swifts in Poland. Unfortunately, it’s not good news at all…

Swifts come back to Poland from their wintering grounds about 23 of April and stay there for nesting. Everybody knows that swifts return to the place of their parental breeding nest. In towns and cites, we are talking mainly about roof spaces and all kind of wall openings. And it seems that one of the reasons for the decline of the swift population is because people drive them out of houses and nesting places.

But the situation in polish blocks of flats is even worst. We don’t have any swift-friendly buildings in Szczecin at all. Site owners, developers and builders wreck and destroy the nesting sites completely and they do it even in the brief breeding seasons. Birds are bricked-in alive or their nesting sites are closed off.

Most of the people familiar with bird biology know that building work shouldn’t be done while swifts are nesting. They need a safe, secure nest site to settle in when they come down to breed. Of course the law protects their nests when there are in use. But what about the period when swifts are away?

Swifts come back to their established nest sites and usually lay within the first two weeks of arrival. But this moment is crucial. If the nest has been destroyed, there is not enough time to find a new one. Besides swifts that are disturbed whilst breeding will desert the nest, never to return.

The polish law states that, in situation when nests might need to be destroyed during any construction work, building companies must get special permits from the Regional Directorate for Enviromental Protection. Besides, those companies are obligated to provide special, dedicated, nesting boxes for the swift. But that happens only in theory.

Builders wall up all holes and openings in the buildings and cut off roof spaces, often with live birds inside. Another way they block the entries into nesting sites is by putting up the wire netting over the holes. Of course this results in huge numbers of swifts dying or getting seriously injured.

My organization has started to fight this situation. We have written many letters to officials responsible for the protection of birds. We have produced evidence, mainly photographic, of the large numbers of swifts that had died because of those practices. Besides, to prevent further occurences of nest destruction, we asked Regional Directorate for Environmental in Szczecin to give us addresses of block of flats scheduled for any kind of thermal insulation work.

That was several months ago, but we still have had no answer. In addition, we asked them to provide dedicated nesting boxes for swifts in blocks of flats where insulation work had just been carried out. No answer, no response.

After getting no replies to all those letters, we decided to inform the General Directorate for Environmental Protection in Warsaw. We produced evidence showing that about 85% of swift populations in Szczecin have been completely wiped out. That was 7 months ago and we are still waiting for any reply of acknowledgement.

Our police service are not cooperating either. The last time I reported unlawful nest destruction and showed them dead swift chicks near one of blocks of flats in my city, they totally ignored my complaint and did nothing about it. In regret I have to say, that this kind of situation are quite common and they have the place in different parts of Poland as well.

What should I do? How long can I go on struggling against everyone to save the lives of swifts? How are situations like that dealt with in your countries? Do you get any official help with swift protection?

Thank you for your attention Photos: -birdwatching.pl, - ratujmyptaki.org, - birdphotos.fi.