Swallow populations are declining across Europe, including Finland. To help reverse this trend, BirdLife Finland and Arla Finland have joined forces to create better nesting opportunities.

All three swallow species that breed in Finland are considered threatened. For the third consecutive year, BirdLife Finland, Arla, and Arla’s dairy farms are collaborating to improve nesting habitats for swallows—a project that has already led to a noticeable increase in their numbers on participating farms.

• The first two years of the project have been highly successful. Dairy farmers have embraced the initiative, as many were already concerned about the decline in swallow populations. This project is a win-win, benefiting both the birds and the farmers, says BirdLife expert Teemu Lehtiniemi in a press release from Arla Finland.

Swallows are migratory birds that spend the winter in warm regions of Africa before returning to Finland and other parts of Europe around May to breed. They favor dairy farms for nesting, where they can build their nests and find an abundant supply of flying insects for food. However, agricultural developments and a decline in the number of dairy farms have significantly reduced their natural habitats.

• During the first summer, dairy farmers constructed over 150 artificial swallow nests. Last year, swallows nested on nearly all participating farms, with some locations recording more than 40 new breeding pairs, says Heini Riipi, Arla’s Head of Responsible Sourcing for Dairy.

In 2023, 34 Arla dairy farms across Finland took part in the project, and the goal for this year is to expand participation even further. The collaboration between BirdLife, Arla, and dairy farms is widely promoted on Arla’s product packaging and website, reinforcing its role as part of the broader sustainability efforts within the dairy industry.

Read more about the project HERE (in Finnish).

Photo: Jim Summerson, Unsplash