Migratory Swifts Make Their Way From Africa To Spain

MIGRATORY swifts make their perilous way from Africa to Spain to breed

Thousands of swifts are currently making their way across the African continent toward the Iberian Peninsula to return to their old breeding grounds in Spain. The little birds, whose population is sadly in serious decline, cross thousands of kilometres of deserts, mountain ranges and seas to spend their breeding season here after over-wintering in the warmer climes of Africa.

Aside from the breeding season, swifts spend most of their lives in the air, going months on end without perching. These dynamic little birds can reach top speeds of 100 km/hr and live for 12 years, travelling some 144,000 kilometres in their lifetime.

“Right now, a swift may be crossing the Sahara in the direction of the building we live in, the same one on whose roof it has been faithfully breeding for many years as an anonymous neighbour of our community. This journey is shared by swallows, bee-eaters and a long list of birds, which after spending months in Africa, return announcing the end of winter in a synchronized journey for thousands of years so that their arrival coincides with the right climatic moment,” said Luis Martínez, SEO / BirdLife Urban Biodiversity Technician.

However, the swift population has faced a troubling decline in recent years, with data from the SEO / BirdLife spring monitoring program showing that the number of common swift in Spain has decreased some 27.2 percent in the last 22 years.

“The swift joins the already long list of common birds, which have always accompanied us in our neighbourhoods and towns, suffering a population decline,” Mr Martinez said.

“That we see fewer sparrows, fewer swallows or fewer swifts is not anecdotal but a powerful clear alarm signal that we are facing an unprecedented ecological crisis that should force us to rethink our relationship with nature,” he added.

 ________________________________________________________________

Thank you for taking the time to read this news article “Migratory Swifts Make Their Way From Africa To Spain”. For more UK daily news, Spanish daily news and Global news stories, visit the Euro Weekly News home page.