2015 Onwards, Swift Nest Boxes, UK

doi:10.15468/fdae6z

2015 Onwards, Swift Nest Boxes, UK

Citation

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). 2015 Onwards, Swift Nest Boxes, UK. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/fdae6z accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-12.

Description

This dataset is intended to be a comprehensive inventory of common swift (Apus apus) nest boxes (nesting sites deliberately provided for swifts - nest boxes, nest bricks, etc, whether occupied yet or not. It includes records collected as part of various swift mapping projects including The Swift Inventory, The Swift Survey and The Swift Mapper. The aim of these projects was to better understand the reasons for the decline in swifts in the UK, and to help target conservation of swift nest sites. They collated data from a variety of sources, primarily a public request for information and local surveys. Between 2009-2015, records were collected as part of the ‘Swift Inventory’. This was a cooperative project involving the support of Concern for Swifts - Scotland, London's Swifts, Northern Ireland Swifts, the RSPB, Swift Conservation and UK Swifts. The ‘Swift Survey’ then ran from 2016 -2019. This was a national survey, including a website developed by Environmental Resource Management (ERM) to collect data from the public on nesting swifts. From 2020 onwards the ‘Swift Mapper’ tool has been used to collect records. The Swift Mapper is a mapping tool involving RSPB, Natural Apptitude, Swift Conservation, Action for Swifts and Swifts Local Network. Accompanying datasets of occupied nests, previously occupied nests and low-level screaming swifts (probable breeders) are also available on the NBN. This dataset will be updated annually.

Purpose

Sampling Description

Quality Control

The public has submitted many of these data. Although the level of misidentified records may be higher than in datasets collected exclusively by trained field-workers, this is mitigated by the large sample size.
These data have been mapped and checked for sensitivities and typographical/ geographical errors. Data have been checked using the NBN Record Cleaner.

Method steps

The swift mapping projects collated data about swift nest sites from as many sources as possible.
From 2009-onwards, records have been submitted using an online form, as part of the Swift Inventory (2009-2015) the Swift Survey (2016-2019) and then Swift Mapper (2020 onwards). Additional records were contributed by Kirtlington Wildlife and Conservation Society, Cambridgeshire Bird Club, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Bristol Naturalists Society, Glasgow Museums BRC, SOC-Highland and Perth and Kinross Council, Ludlow 21. The count attribute is reported as the approximate count of nest boxes. Due to the numerous data sources, the count attribute may refer to either the approximate number at a site on one occasion, or on numerous occasions. Records from Swift Mapper of boxes which have been provided for swifts but not yet used have a count unit of 'Nest Box' while records of occupied boxes have a count unit of 'Nest'. Where the exact number of nest boxes or nests was unknown/blank, the count attribute is given as a Presence value.

Taxonomic Coverages

Geographic Coverages

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

originator
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

metadata author
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

distributor
NBN Atlas
27 Old Gloucester St, Holborn
London
WC1N 3AX
London
GB
email: admin@nbnatlas.org

Conservation Data Management Unit
administrative point of contact
position: editor
email: dataunit@rspb.org.uk