What's up there?

Swifts depend on buildings for nesting. They seek out a dry, safe ledge just inside the roof. They are brilliant acrobatic fliers and it's wonderful to see them screaming up to the top of your house, then disappearing inside. The loss of old buildings in some towns and cities has resulted in them losing many suitable nesting ledges. Some architects and builders now put in specially designed bricks so that swifts can nest in new buildings.   

House martins build their cup-shaped nests out of mud under the eaves. You can put up artificial nests to encourage them to nest on a building. 

Starlings regularly nest in the roofs of buildings, although their noisy behaviour often makes them unpopular neighbours! 

Jackdaws are particularly fond of nesting in old chimneys. It sometimes causes a problem if the chimney is still in use and the smoke and fumes cannot escape. 

Bats roost in cracks under tiles or boards in some roofs. If you are really lucky you might see them coming out at dusk to hunt for insects. 

House sparrows are among the most interesting roof-nesting birds to watch. They're also declining in number, so it's good news if you find them nesting near you.