Israeli paraglider tries to save swift birds nesting in Western Wall : NPR

Key Points:

• Each spring, the common swift migrates about 2,800 miles from Africa to nest in the ancient stones of Jerusalem's Western Wall, a tradition believed to date back two millennia to Herodian times.
• The swifts have become a symbol of peace in the contested city, nesting not only at the Western Wall but also at significant religious sites like the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Church of the Holy Sepulchre, inspiring artistic projects promoting unity among Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities.
• Swift populations are in steep decline across Europe and Israel due to insect scarcity, climate change, and loss of nesting sites caused by modern building designs that lack suitable spaces for the birds.
• Amnonn Hahn, chair of the Friends of the Swifts Association in Israel, rescues fallen swift nestlings and fosters them in specially designed nesting boxes, which he has helped install in schools and buildings throughout Israel to support the birds' survival.
• Swifts spend most of their lives in flight, mating for life but migrating separately, and face increasing challenges from urban development and conflict, making conservation efforts like Hahn’s crucial for their continued presence in the region.