Swift (Apus apus)Where and when to see it in the UK
Summer visitor · reporting peaks June to July · Swifts · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Swift has been recorded in 2,555 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (86%) in records to 2026. Summer visitor in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in June to July.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 43% or more of visits
- High
- 25% to 43%
- Moderate
- 12% to 25%
- Low
- under 12%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0% | <1% | Very high |
| February | 0% | <1% | Very high |
| March | 0% | <1% | Very high |
| April | 8% | 3% | Low |
| May | 78% | 28% | Very high |
| June | 100% | 35% | Very high |
| July | 99% | 35% | Very high |
| August | 35% | 12% | Low |
| September | 4% | 2% | Low |
| October | 0% | <1% | Very high |
| November | 0% | <1% | Very high |
| December | 0% | <1% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in June
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| C62 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C72 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C91 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C93 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D03 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D20 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D21 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D30 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D40 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H05 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |