Bells for Birds
Welcome back the swifts
Each spring, something magical returns to our skies. The aerodynamic, screaming flight of the Common Swift – a bird that spends almost its entire life on the wing, migrating thousands of miles from Africa to the British Isles – signals the arrival of warmer weather and the return of nature to our towns and cities. Yet across the UK, swift numbers have plummeted by roughly two-thirds between 1995 and 2022.
Bells for Birds is a beautiful and hopeful annual initiative. The idea is simple but powerful – ring church, school or community bells around the time the swifts return, to celebrate nature’s comeback and draw public attention to the importance of protecting these remarkable birds.
What began with bell-ringing at two Derby churches has blossomed into a wider vision: for schools, churches, community groups and neighbourhoods to use bells, sightings, and shared events to reconnect people with nature, and help secure a future for swifts in our towns.
Why this matters
Swifts are dramatically declining
Modern housing renovation, insulation and changing building practices have sealed off the holes and roof-spaces swifts have used for centuries to nest.
They need our help
Without suitable nesting sites and insect-rich feeding grounds, swifts are being squeezed out of our urban environments.
Community, heritage and nature can unite
Bells for Birds blends the melody of community bell-ringing with deep-rooted ecological awareness, creating a new tradition to welcome back our feathered friends.
Stefan Johansson
Robert Booth
A swift leaving a nest box.
(c) Simon Richardson
S Richardson
A swift flying to a nest box attached to the eaves of a cottage with its throat pouch bulging with insects it has caught to feed its chicks - by Nick Upton
How you can get involved
If you love the idea of celebrating these bird’s return and want to help swifts thrive, here are ways you can join in:
- Eyes to the skies: look out for swifts returning in spring.
- Log your sightings: share your sightings within the Derbyshire Biological Records Centre, to help conservation efforts.
- Share on social media: post your sightings or bell-ringing moments using a shared hashtag #BellsForBirds to raise awareness.
- Ring a bell on first sighting: celebrate the moment with bell-ringing, then share it online.
- Encourage institutions to join: invite your local church, school or community group to take part in Bells for Birds week, 2nd – 10th May 2026.
- Create a local swift project: ideas include art projects, poster campaigns, assemblies, parades, or community events centred on swifts.
- Make space for swifts and nature at home: Installing nest-boxes or “swift bricks”, leaving insect-friendly gardens, or generally providing green space all help.
What happens next
Each year, Bells for Birds aims to reach more communities — more churches, schools, and neighbourhoods across the UK — so that more people can celebrate swifts’ return and help protect their future.
By combining a simple human tradition (bell-ringing) with grassroots conservation, we can help swifts reclaim their summer skies, inspire wonder in our communities, and give them a meaningful place in our everyday lives.
If you’re inspired, you can get involved today and help make sure that, come May, our skies once again be filled with the cries and wings of returning swifts.
A powerful partnership
The Derby Nature Collective is a collaborative initiative aimed at enhancing the relationship between people and nature in Derby City. It brings together 16 organisations to promote urban nature recovery and community engagement. The collective focuses on initiatives like 'Bells for Birds,' which celebrates the return of local swifts and raises awareness about their habitat needs. Additionally, it aims to create a greener city through various actions, including community involvement and the protection of urban wildlife.