Wildlife Experts Urge People Not to Ignore Fallen Swifts during Summer Months

Summer is the time when the sky is full of swifts, but it is also the period when people most often find the birds fallen on the ground. If you see a fallen swift, do not ignore it, the Wildlife Rescue Centre of the conservation organisation “Green Balkans” urged in a Facebook post. Specialists at the centre are currently caring for 32 swifts.

“Swifts nest in spaces between apartment blocks and in the gaps of prefabricated concrete buildings. When nests become too hot, young birds often jump or fall out prematurely,” experts explained.

They warned that this species cannot take off from the ground on its own because of its anatomical characteristics. Swifts have extremely long wings and very short legs, the Rescue Centre explained. They also stressed that even if a bird is found on the ground, this does not necessarily mean it is sick or injured.

If a fallen swift is found, it should be placed somewhere safe and dark, such as a cardboard box with air holes, and a specialist should then be contacted, the centre advised. They emphasised that the bird should not be thrown into the air from a height. If it is injured, exhausted or too young, it will fall again, and the impact could be fatal, they explained.

It is also important not to feed a swift with unsuitable food. Conservationists pointed out that the birds eat only insects and other types of food could kill them.

The most successful way to save healthy young swifts is to place them in the nests of other swifts, where wild parents accept them and successfully continue raising them, the Rescue Centre said. They added that caring for the birds is a round-the-clock task, with hand-feeding required every few hours.

The black swift is among the bird species that the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water (RIEW) sent for treatment and rehabilitation at the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Stara Zagora in June. The authority reminded people that anyone who finds a protected species in a helpless condition is required to notify the nearest RIEW office or a unit of the Executive Forest Agency.