Swifts are urban birds that use spaces in rooftops or old buildings to make their nests, but declining populations led to the species being added to the UK red list of conservation concern last year.

According to Barratt Developments, the use of modern construction methods combined with the demolition of old buildings has majorly reduced the availability of nesting sites for the species.

To combat this, the firm has been working together with the RSBP to install special swift nesting bricks into the external walls of new homes as they are being built in order to provide the swift population with crucial nesting sites.

•   Hilltop launches real estate funding and management platform
•   Barratt David Wilson announces senior promotions for North Thames division
•   Citra Living teams up with Barratt Developments

The bricks are being installed across the country, particularly in ten key cities — Birmingham, Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Ipswich, Manchester, Newcastle and Oxford — where, according to the RSPB, swift numbers and nesting sites are most in decline.

Having reached its initial goal, Barratt Developments has set a new target of installing 7,000 swift bricks by the end of 2025.

David Thomas, chief executive at Barratt Developments, said: “We are pleased with the 4,000 swift bricks we have installed so far, but we have to keep on working hard with the RSPB to give these birds even more homes.

“This is why we are raising our target by another 3,000 swift nesting bricks, aiming to install some 7,000 in total in our homes across the country by 2025."