Common swifts have nested in the Western Wall in Jerusalem for approximately two millennia, with researchers documenting at least 88 active nests in recent years. The birds arrive each spring from East Africa, traveling roughly 2,800 miles to raise their young among the ancient stones. Their presence has deep cultural significance, referenced in biblical texts and now invoked as a symbol of peace by artists working across Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Swift populations face significant challenges across their range. In Britain, numbers have declined approximately 70 percent since the mid-1990s, with scientists attributing the drop to insect population collapse, climate-related weather changes, and loss of suitable nesting habitat. Modern urban construction—glass facades and sleek building designs—eliminates the gaps and crevices where swifts traditionally nested around window shutters and roof tiles. This habitat loss forces birds into inadequate spaces, resulting in nestlings falling from overcrowded nests.
Amnonn Hahn, a 72-year-old Israeli resident and chair of the Friends of the Swifts Association, has made swift conservation his mission. His dedication began after a paragliding competition in 1999 when he flew alongside swifts in thermal currents, an experience he describes as transformative. When his daughter’s school underwent renovation in 2005 and displaced nesting swifts, Hahn began installing custom nesting boxes made from repurposed ammunition boxes throughout the school and surrounding area.
Through his organization, Hahn has collaborated with city councils and schools across Israel to install hundreds of nesting boxes in buildings. At a Tel Aviv kindergarten, 222 boxes were installed, with cameras monitoring some nests. Hahn also rescues fallen nestlings, placing them in boxes where adult swifts readily foster them. Despite challenges including displacement caused by military conflicts, the conservation efforts have helped maintain nesting populations. Hahn warns that ongoing urban development threatens remaining habitat, making continued nesting box installation essential for future generations of swifts returning from their African wintering grounds.
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