THE Royal Society for the Protection of Bird have released advice on helping Swifts, to coincide with Swift Awareness Week, which ends on Sunday.

The birds, who the society say can eat, sleep and drink on the wing and fly faster than 60mph, use gaps in buildings to nest.

However, swift numbers declined by more than half between 1995 and 2015, due partly to a loss of suitable nesting sites and reduction in airborne insects.

Emily Seccombe, Oxford Swift City Project Officer, has three tips for anyone who wants to help the animals, involving food, nestboxes and recording.

She said: “People can help save swifts by increasing their food supply. Planting native British wildflowers in your garden will help to develop the insect populations that swifts need.

"Modern buildings often lack the spaces swifts need. People can give swifts a home by putting up a nestbox. These need attaching to the outside of buildings over 5m high. Southern facing walls should be avoided as boxes may overheat.”

The Oxford Swift City Project is offering free swift nestboxes to local groups who email oxfordswiftcity@rspb.org.uk.

She continued: "You can help us to understand which areas are important for swifts by telling us where you see them [at swiftsurvey.org/Rspb/Home/Index].

"This can be used by developers, planners and ecologists to incorporate swifts into Oxford’s infrastructure.”