The communities in the East on a mission to save the swifts
Watch Tanya Mercer's report
Admired for their aerial acrobats, swifts are the epitome of summer, and the masters of long-distance travel.
However, their numbers are dropping dramatically - by more than half in 25 years.
Swifts return every year to their exact nesting sites, so when these are destroyed so too is the swifts' chance to breed.
Now, communities across the region are coming together to help save the birds.
In Woodbridge people have been putting up swift nestboxes, including the local school, cinema and rowing club.
They now have around 100 boxes in the area and are already seeing an improvement in the number of birds.
Swifts spend their whole life in the air - feeding, drinking, mating and sleeping on the wing.
The only time they land, is to breed.
They're the fastest bird in level flight reaching speeds of 70 mph and can fly up to 10,000 feet high.
Every year they travel between Africa and Europe. Some will fly up to 1.6 million miles in their lifetime - the equivalent of flying to the moon and back 7 times.
In Cambridge, one man has dedicated his retirement to creating thousands of swift nest boxes.
Communities want to encourage the next generation to take care of the birds.
At Farlingaye High School they've installed several boxes and students are already learning some key swift facts.
Locals say helping these birds by installing a nestbox is both rewarding and entertaining.
With more people joining the fight to save the swifts, there's hope they will once again grace our region's skies in their hundreds.
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