The ancient stones of Jerusalem’s Western Wall echo with more than just prayers. For millennia, the common swift has made this holy site its home, nesting in the cracks and crevices of the sacred structure. This spring, the air above the Western Wall was alive with the birds’ distinctive calls, mingling with the voices of the faithful below.
The scythe-winged birds have adapted remarkably to life alongside humans, raising their young in the nooks and crannies of buildings and other structures. Every year, they undertake an epic migration, traveling thousands of miles to return to the same nesting sites where they reunite with their lifelong mates. This year, dozens of nests were spotted at the Western Wall, a testament to the enduring bond between these birds and the holy city.
The Swifts of Jerusalem: A Symbol of Unity
In the heart of Jerusalem, the common swift has become more than just a bird—it’s a symbol of unity. The birds, unconstrained by politics and religion, are a ubiquitous sight in the Old City, nesting at sites sacred to the world’s three largest monotheistic religions. They have been known to nest at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as well as the Western Wall.
British artist Mark Coreth worked with Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities to create a sculpture that embodies this unity. His work, an olive tree with a canopy of swifts as leaves, is displayed in the courtyard of St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem’s Old City. Coreth also fixed bronze sculptures of swifts to hospital walls in Gaza and the West Bank, hoping that where the white dove failed to bring peace, the swift will.
The Decline of the Swift: A Call to Action
Despite their resilience, common swifts are facing a steep decline across Europe. In Britain, numbers have fallen by some 70% since the mid-1990s. Scientists attribute this to collapsing populations of the insects they feed on, more erratic weather linked to climate change, and, crucially, the loss of suitable nesting sites. Modern building techniques, such as glass facade skyscrapers and neat constructions in cities, leave “no space for swifts,” as Amnonn Hahn, the chair of the Friends of the Swifts Association in Israel, explains.
In Israel, the situation is equally critical. Iranian missile strikes this spring disrupted nesting sites, and modern buildings are leaving the swifts with fewer places to nest. However, there is hope. Simple solutions, such as wooden boxes or hollow bricks, can provide the nesting sites these birds need. When they do nest, the birds engage in a behavior known as a “screaming party,” flying in groups at top speeds around and around buildings, making high-pitched calls to encourage their fledglings to take flight.
The Swift’s Life on the Wing
The common swift’s life is a marvel of nature. Once the fledglings take flight, they may not land again for the first two or three years. They eat, sleep, and even wash themselves on the wing, slowing their flight to catch water droplets from rainstorms. They mate in the sky and make their nests from delicate wisps of material that float in the air. They mate for life but migrate separately, traveling thousands of miles to different African countries before reuniting at their nesting grounds. If they both survive the journey, the couple will meet year after year at the same nesting site.
Watching the swifts inspired a soaring joy in those who witnessed their “screaming parties.” These birds, with their remarkable adaptations and enduring bond with Jerusalem, remind us of the beauty of coexistence and the importance of preserving their habitats.
