Provision for birds in buildings Turning buildings into bird friendly habitats Dr Kate Vincent – Senior Ecologist Baker Shepherd Gillespie – Ecological.

Provision for birds in buildings

Turning buildings into bird friendly habitats

Dr Kate Vincent – Senior Ecologist

Baker Shepherd Gillespie – Ecological Consultants

The design for biodiversity approach

• National/regional/local policy and guidance• Key documents justifying this approach:

– Working with grain of nature: A Biodiversity Strategy for England (DEFRA 2002)

– biodiversity a fundamental consideration across all main sectors of public policy

– PPS 9:Biodiversity and Geological Conservation

– change to ‘net gain of biodiversity’ via enhancements delivered through planning system

• Other benefits to developers such as: – Offering developers the chance to secure

planning approval; – Engaging the support of local communities; – Demonstrating

corporate/social/environmental responsibility – Achieve a unique selling point for

development; – Adding Value to BREEAM/Code for

Sustainable Homes with Ecology

The design for biodiversity approach

Why help urban birds?• Birds play an important role in adding to

biodiversity in urban centres

• Several species of bird use buildings to breed

• Many species are in decline;• house sparrow (UK priority list & red listed)• starling (UK priority list & red listed)• house martin & swallow (amber listed)• swift (41% from 1994 to 2007) • black redstart (rare breeding bird in UK)

Which birds use buildings?

• Some breed extensively in or on buildings; house sparrow, house martin & swift

• Others are highly dependent on buildings for nesting; starlings, swallows, black redstart

• kestrel and peregrine falcon will also use nest boxes on buildings

Making buildings bird friendly:Retrofitting and new builds• Modern housing intended to be weather tight

& well pointed so can exclude birds

• Renovation/roof replacement of older houses can remove nesting opportunities

• Retrofit existing buildings/include bird friendly design in new buildings

• Engage architects in thinking about designing in wildlife

Incorporating birds

New design:• Ideally when new development is being

designed biodiversity is given priority• Birds can be designed in very easily

through creating internal nesting opportunities

• History of key local bird populations - include in design

Incorporating birds

Retrofitting• If unable to retain or create internal nests put

a nestbox on the outside • Position under the eaves, out of the direct

sun, wind and rain• Species specific hole sizes are important

– 32 mm for house sparrows – 45 mm for starlings– swifts require a 'letterbox' entrance of minimum 65

mm x 25-35 mm

House Sparrow

Can be put within fabric of buildingMy PhD study site in Leicester

Single boxes spread out across house; more successful than terrace idea

Swift Bricks www.swift-conservation.org

• made of concrete, and has a hollow interior• measures 180mm high, 265mm wide, and is

220mm deep• Use it in blockwork or brickwork walls, ideally as the

top course• Install them in a straight line, under the eaves or at

the top of a vertical wall, away from window• Install: 1 to 4 Swift Bricks on a house 4 to 10 on a small block of flats 10 to 20 on a school/hospital

warehouse/apartment block

Taken from www.swift-conservation.org

Internal swift bricks

• Swiss Cottage Sports Centre, London

• Swift bricks can be hidden behind rendering/pebble dash/tile/stone facing

• Need the 55mm x 33mm entrance hole to be exposed for access

• Notting Hill Housing Trust/Barnet Council sheltered housing project

• Added nest sites to replace lost nest sites

External swift boxes

• Islington Borough Council offices boxes put up in 2007

• London Zoo; 2 types of boxes

• Swift call recordings were played to attract the birds

Custom made examples:

Oxford University Tower; behind each vent is a double nestbox in which the swifts breed

147 boxes; avg 50 to 60 used

made to camouflage with surroundings

swift nestbox installation at King’s Cross

Swift towers

• • opportunities for tower colonies are:

• MOD sites • power stations • hospitals• mobile phone masts• railway sidings• Min.height is 7 metres

(higher the better) • design based on

German design for a house martin tower colony Designed by Dick Newell of Action for Swifts

Swift Towers

Others: House Martins

• tower fitted with many artificial nests, set up on a village green in Germany

• Artificial nests are readily available and easy to install

Others: black redstart; wagtails; starling

This main cavity is supplied without a front panel as there are different types of front panel to meet the needs of various bird species

Others; swallow

• Open cup design• Easy to install

Others; falcons

Peregrine Falcons; 10 pairs nesting in cities;

Eg: Manchester, Lincoln, Derby & even on the Tate Modern in London

Kestrels becoming common breeders in cities

If artist Benjamin Verdonck can install a giant bird’s nest on the side of a building in Rotterdam, there is no excuse not to provide for the small feathered variety.

• Useful information:

• www.bsg-ecology.com – ecological consultants

• www.swift-conservation.org – Swift Conservation Advisory Service

• www.concernforswifts.com – Swift Conservation for Scotland