Department of the Environment launches wildlife cameras

ON May 4, the Department of the Environment launched the second phase of its Gibraltar Nature Cameras Project with the installation of two live-feed cameras.

The cameras are inside the nests of one of Gibraltar’s most well-known visiting birds, the Pallid swift and the sight of these fast moving, sickle-shaped birds, signal the start of the spring and are a characteristic feature of the spring and summer skies of Gibraltar.

Swifts fly all the way down to tropical Africa and back every single year and, once they leave the nest as youngsters, are known to spend several years continuously on the wing.

Two species of swifts have historically nested in built-up areas in Gibraltar; the Common swift characterised by its dark, almost black colour and the Pallid swift, which is paler brown.

Older buildings in Gibraltar were constructed using traditional methods, leaving gaps under the eaves and gables which were suitable for nesting but modern building styles and techniques have had an adverse effect on the local swift population by decreasing the habitat that these birds can use.

The government is placing nests around Gibraltar and it is the policy of the Development and Planning Commission to require the installation of swift nests in all new construction.

There is a third species, the larger and much rarer Alpine swift, which nests in crags on the east side of the Rock.

Additional cameras showcasing Gibraltar’s rich wildlife, such as birds of prey, will be launched later this year but the swift cameras can be viewed online from the DEHCC’s website www.thinkinggreen.gov.gi.