THE new Aldi site, currently in construction on Caernarfon Road in Bangor, will have special nest boxes for swifts installed at the rear of the building.

Thanks to the developer Bampton Property Group Limited, the building will provide much-needed accommodation for the globe-trotting birds which are in serious decline across Wales.

North Wales Wildlife Trust’s swift project manager, Ben Stammers, said: “The new site is close to one of the few remaining swift colonies in Bangor, so it’s hoped the new boxes, designed by Wrexham-based company Impeckable, will allow the swifts to expand their local population.

“Swifts are the fastest birds in level flight – they can sleep, eat, drink, mate and preen on the wing, and may spend two whole years in the air before returning to the area they were reared to find a place to breed.

“As the holes in buildings they use get filled in, their nesting options are reduced, so the Wildlife Trust has been working across North Wales to promote swift box installation, and we’re delighted that Bampton Property Group have considered them with this measure.”

Gwynedd Council helped to facilitate this collaboration, and has recently had swift boxes installed on their own office buildings in Caernarfon.

Ben added: “Although swifts now also face a problem of declines in their insect prey, we’re hoping that more widespread provision of nest boxes and swift bricks (which can be built into walls) will at least start to address their housing crisis.

“This would contribute towards the Wildlife Trust’s vision for nature recovery networks across Wales.”

A spokesperson for Bampton Property Group added: “We take our biodiversity commitments very seriously, and in this case are glad to be able to do something to help these amazing birds.”

To find out more about nature recovery, or how you can help swifts, you can visit the North Wales Wildlife Trust website at: www.northwaleswildlifetrust.org.uk/our-projects/swift-conservation-project.