Swift First Aid & Care

You have found a fallen Swift   Don't throw it in the air- Don't feed it - Don't delay    1. Put your Swift in a quiet, warm, safe, calm & clean environment  - a ventilated shoe box is ideal        and put it somewhere away from any disturbance. See photo on the right  - the Swift is calm    2. Take a photo and if you can, weigh the bird too - you can assess its age using the photos below    3. Give it water by running a wetted cotton bud around the edge of the beak avoiding the nostrils    4. Measure the Swift's wing length (see photo below). It can only fly if its wings are each at least 16cm long    5. Don't try and care for the Swift yourself. It is high-risk, difficult, expensive and time-consuming    6. Contact a Carer from the list below; give them information about your Swift; get the Swift to them ASAP The distance to measure is shown as a red line on the photo on the left Swift chick at 2 weeks old - it weighs 38 grams Swift chick at 3 weeks old - it weighs 45 grams Swift chick at 4 weeks old - it weighs 50 grams Swift chick at 6 weeks old - it weighs 44 grams Call a UK Swift Carer -  providing competent advice, treatment and care The individuals, charities and organisations below may be able to assist: NB: These are all independent care providers. Where we can we check on their abilities and procedures, but unfortunately this is not always possible. E-mail and Internet web page links are underlined   Cheshire -  RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre, London Road, Nantwich CW5 7JW Open 08:00 to 20:00 (21:00 May to Sept) Call 0300 1230722   Cumbria - Kendal College Animal Rescue Milnthorpe Road, Kendal  LA9 5AY  telephone 01539 814700 Monday to Friday only   Derbyshire - Pet Samaritans - St Bernard's Animal Sanctuary & Wildlife Rescue Centre, Chesterfield S41 9EA  - call 01246 455777 / 07872421878   Devon (edge of Somerset) North Combe, Shillingford, Tiverton - L Goss - Call 07732 943781   Dorset (West) West Dorset House Martin Rehabilitation, Dorchester - Call 07377 632992 or e-mail using the link   Essex (Basildon) - Natures 2nd Chance Wildlife Rescue click here to e-mail   Hampshire - Hart Wildlife Rescue Unit 9 Lower Soldridge Business Park, Soldridge Road, Medstead, Alton GU34 5JF   Hampshire -  Wildlife Rescue - Ringwood - Please phone 01425 477500 / 07765 327558   Hertfordshire -  Wildlife Welfare -  Please phone 01438 313526   Hertfordshire -  C Nuttall - Aylesbury & Hemel Hempstead - Click the link to e-mail or telephone 07917 877333   Isle of Wight - IOW Wild Bird Rehabilitation 31 Love Lane, Cowes PO31 7ET  - Click the link to e-mail or 'phone: 07765 564 479   Kent - Folly Wildlife Rescue, Broadwater Forest Wildlife Hospital, Fairview Lane, Broadwater Forest, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 9LU telephone 01892 543 213   Kent - Tonbridge & surroundings areas - Gabo Wildlife - telephone 07470 857171   Lancashire (South) - Bolton & Bury Swifts - please Call/Text/WhatsApp 0755 7796508   Lincolnshire (South)  M Sutherland -  Click the link to e-mail / 'phone 07947 664811   London Wildlife Protection  07909 795064  If you find a sick or injured bird call the Emergency helpline between 9am and Midnight   Manchester (Greater) - Bolton & Bury Swifts - please Call/Text/WhatsApp 0755 7796508   Norfolk (South) Alex Prendergast - Text /WhatsApp with photos to 07585 987316   Nottingham & Derby - Feline & Wildlife Rescue - Click the link to go to their website and make contact (also on Facebook)   Oxfordshire Wildlife Rescue, Woodway Road, Blewbury, Oxfordshire, OX11 9HW  - Call 07549 322464   Scotland - Aberdeenshire  The New Arc,  Nether Auquhadlie, Auchnagatt, Ellon AB41 8UW  Click the link to e-mail or call 07813 304874   Scotland (Highlands) - Blue Highlands Avian Conservation Centre - 1 Golf Road, Brora KW9 6QS, 0797 584817   Somerset - RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Hospital - Taunton TA3 5RT Open 08:00 to 21:00 Call 0300 123 0721   Somerset - Secret World Wildlife Rescue, New Road Farm, New Road, East Huntspill, Highbridge,TA 3PZ Telephone 01278 783250   Suffolk - Framlingham - Call, Text or WhatsApp Zoe Crossley 079 555 13713   Sussex (East) WRAS Wildlife Rescue, 8 The Shaw Barn, Whitesmith, Lewes, East Sussex BN8 6JD telephone 0781 507 8234   Sussex (West) A Ingram, (Horsham) please e-mail or call 0791 9090194   Sussex - Brighton,  S Whitworth & J Leadbetter -  Click the links to e-mail / 'phones 07715 681662 / 07480 841000   Sussex (East) Wildlife A & E, Unity Cottage, High Cross, Rotherfield, Crowborough TN6 3PX telephone 0770 957 4665  e-mail - click here   Surrey Wildlife Aid Foundation - Randalls Farmhouse, Randalls Road, Leatherhead KT22 0AL Hours: daily 9am – 8pm - Click the link for details   Surrey - H Finden-Brown - Call 07977 911985 or 01483 767209   Warwickshire - Nuneaton Swift Care - 07508 332 241 (please text or leave a message if there is no answer)   Wiltshire Wildlife Hospital, New Farm, 1 Amesbury Road, Newton Tony, Nr. Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0HW Call - 0785 0778752 (24 hours)   Yorkshire (North) Wildlife Haven, Thirsk 01845 526 567   www.facebook.com/thewildlifehaven   Yorkshire - Leeds Swifts 07778 768719  leedsswifts@gmail.com   Yorkshire (West)  B Thorne - Ilkley - Can transport birds to local carers - Click the link to e-mail / 'phone 01943 816488 Transport of injured and sick wildlife (a nation-wide service) UK Wildlife Transporters - click on the link Ask your Vet or the RSPCA -  they may be able to help, they may know of local wildlife carers Consult these 2 Facebook Pages - for advice, guidance, photos - click on the Swifts    In Europe,Turkey, South Africa & beyond contact these Swift Carers who provide advice & treatment & care     Siranush Tumanyan (Armenia)      Lynda Huxley (Eire)    Refuge de L'Arche de Noe, Saint-Joseph des Genêts, 53200 Château-Gontier, Mayenne, France 0033 2 43 07 24 38      Les Martinets d'Azur - Nice, Provence, France      Friends of the Swifts  Sde Boker 39 Givatayim 5346559,  Israel  0505-460371     Silvana di Mauro (Regione di Trieste)      Oriana Ferrandino (Regione di Abruzzo)     Hilde Matthes (Frankfurt am Main)     Enric Fuste (Catalunya)       Andalusia / Andaluza Centros de Recuperatión de Especias Amenazadas                  Almería         CREA La Almohallas 670 94 45 92                  Cádiz            CREA Dunas de San Antón 670 94 61 98                  Córdoba      CREA Los Villares 670 94 79 01                  Granada       CREA El Blanqueo 670 94 56 99                  Jaén              CREA Quiebrajano 670 94 62 63                  Málaga          CREA Pecho Venus 670 94 45 98                  Sevilla           CREA San Jerónimo 670 94 15 92      Extremadura                 Provincia de Badajoz - AMUS (Acción por el Mundo Salvaje) 924 12 40 51                 Provincia de Cáceres - Centro de Recuperación de Fauna "Los Hornos" 927 20 01 70        Wiecej informacji na temat jerzyka, kwestii zwiazanych z jego gniazdowaniem oraz innych wskazowek mozna uzyskac na                  stronie Fundacji Ratujmy Ptaki e-mail: Warszawa , e-mail Szczecin      Johannesburg - South Africa - Friends of Free Wildlife website, telephone 082 701 8318 and e-mail     Gökçe Coşkun - wildlife rehabilitation (Turkey) Advice for Vets You can contact these advisers listed below for full guidance on professional care for Swifts S Hart : Please 'phone 0161 798 7122 or e-mail here M Sutherland : Please 'phone 07947 664811 or e-mail here Essential reading for Vets and licensed wildlife rehabilitators "The Hand-rearing of Common Swifts" - download this article by Hilde Matthes & Gillian Westray. It gives detailed care instructions Christiane Haupt's "Hints for Vets" - Swift condition and injury assessment, diagnosis and surgical procedures   Next - Videos, Webcams & Downloads          Back to Contents                                                                                         Photographs Copyright © G Westray & Anne Mandry