Four new nest boxes have been installed at One Market Square, Manx National Heritage's new visitor hub in Castletown, in a bid to support the island's declining swift population.

The project aims to create additional nesting opportunities for the migratory birds, which spend only a short period of the year on the island but have experienced significant population declines in recent decades.

Almost half of the Isle of Man's swift population has been lost since the start of the century, with one of the main factors behind this decline being the loss of suitable nesting sites, as modern buildings and renovation projects often remove the gaps and cavities traditionally used by the birds.

The new nest boxes were supplied by the Manx Ornithological Society and have been installed at One Market Square as part of wider efforts to encourage swift conservation.

Conservationists say there are a number of ways developers and property owners can help the species, including incorporating nesting spaces into new buildings, adding them during renovation work, or installing external nest boxes on suitable structures.

Swifts are among the island's most distinctive summer visitors, arriving from Africa in early May and typically departing from mid-July onwards. The birds are known for spending most of their lives in flight, eating, drinking, sleeping and even mating while airborne.

They are capable of reaching speeds of up to 111km/h in level flight and can travel around 800 kilometres in a single day.

Conservation experts also note that a young swift may cover approximately 480,000 kilometres before first landing at a potential nesting site two years after leaving the nest.

A spokesperson from Manx National Heritage commented: ‘A big thank you goes to the Manx Ornithological Society for supplying the nest boxes, as well as everyone else involved in helping create new nesting opportunities for Swifts.’