noise from swifts?

[Helen Harwood]

Hello, We're a new group - CamSwift in South Cambridgeshire. We were out canvassing for homes for nestboxes and someone was interested, but asked about noise from swifts. Specifically, the individual is a light sleeper, and wonders if he might be woken at 4am (and then lie awake because he struggles to get back to sleep) by swifts if they nest in his house. My thought was that swifts aren't noisy at the nest site, and that screaming parties are not likely to be right up against the house. But I'd appreciate any thoughts from people with occupied boxes. I don't want us to fit a box which he is then unhappy with. 

Many thanks,

Helen Harwood

[Tanya Hoare]

Don't worry Helen, you can reassure the chap that he won't be troubled by swift 'noise'. The adults often go out foraging as early as 4.30am but there's no audible sounds from the chicks either - unless you have cameras with audio on!

So I hope he'll just enjoy screaming parties in evenings and later in mornings!  

Tanya & Edmund

ta.h...@btinternet.com

(1) Sedbergh Community Swifts | Facebook

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[Alistair]

The earliest I’ve had fly byes is around 6 to 6.30am and thats on warm days, normally they come around again about 9.00am ish. I’ve only one pair nesting.  I find them good neighbours…

Alistair

Kingsteignton swifts

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/swiftslocalnetwork/2afe01dc9f5f%24423e7050%24c6bb50f0%24%40btinternet.com.

[richardreed.tech]

We have swift boxes inside the loft directly above our bedroom and don’t hear them at all at night. Even when we’ve had bangers flying past in the morning, they’ve been fairly quiet.

They make no noise when feeding chicks during they day but seem to make a bit more noise when roosting in  the evening. The screaming is from passing visitors which have all left by about 9pm. 

[Edward Mayer - Swift Conservation]

Hello Helen, I look at this sort of "problem" the other way round. To me there is nothing more soothing than to hear birds in the nest in the night. I have woken up to hear House Martins nesting under the eaves outside my window and it is bliss; baby birds in the nest, safe and well. Everything is good with the world, everything is fine, I instantly relax and fall into a deep and restful sleep. Same thing with Owls, if a Tawny flies past in the night and wakes me with its call, it is just so reassuring, so lovely to hear the real wild world out here, still managing to survive, that I relax and nod off, feeling just so happy to have witnessed a survival in this awful world where humanity is at constant war with everything else that lives here. Exposure to wildlife reduces human anxiety, sleeplessness, depression, a very well know fact! All the best, Edward

[Andy Bullen]

There are plenty of people who have swifts nesting in their roofs and don’t even know they are there!

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/swiftslocalnetwork/30F57041-4294-4B90-BF2F-AA3AE671A471%40alofanglia.plus.com.

[Barbara Anglezarke]

Barbara Anglezarke reacted to your message:

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From: 'Edward Mayer - Swift Conservation' via swiftslocalnetwork <swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2026 8:59:18 AM
To: swiftslocalnetwork <swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [SLN] Re: noise from swifts?

 

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