The City Council promotes urban biodiversity with the installation of new nest boxes for swifts and house martins

The Torrevieja City Council continues to advance its sustainability and environmental protection strategy with the installation of 30 new nest boxes for swifts, as part of the Biodiversity Promotion Plan being implemented in the municipality. Specifically, the Councilor for Pest Control, Diana Box Alonso, reported that 15 nest boxes for swifts were installed this week on the side of the old Torrevieja City Hall and another 15 at the CEIP Inmaculada Concepción school, with the aim of promoting nesting by the species present in the municipality: the common swift ( Apus apus ) and the pallid swift ( Apus pallidus ).

These actions respond to the need to offer suitable breeding spaces to these insectivorous birds, whose presence in urban environments is highly beneficial from an ecological point of view, especially in the natural control of flying insect populations.

It is worth noting that during February, a total of 20 common swift ( Delichon urbicum ) nest boxes were also installed at the Torrevieja University Hospital, thanks to a collaboration between the hospital and the City Council. These nest boxes were placed on the exterior façade of the building bordering the Torrevieja Lagoon, a strategic location where colonies of this species were detected last year.

The common swift is a protected species, a migratory passerine bird of the swallow family, of great ecological value. It plays a fundamental role in the biological control of insects, especially mosquitoes, which is particularly beneficial in sensitive environments such as hospitals, where these insects can act as vectors of disease.

This species travels approximately 10,000 kilometers each year during its migratory journeys and faithfully returns to its breeding grounds between March and September, coinciding with the peak mosquito population in the area. Its activity directly contributes to the natural balance and strengthens the biological control of these populations.

The installation of artificial nests is an effective tool to compensate for the loss of traditional nesting spaces in modern buildings, facilitating the conservation of these migratory birds and promoting biodiversity in urban spaces.

BIODIVERSITY AS A COMPLEMENTARY TOOL IN PEST MANAGEMENT

These actions are part of the Plan for the Promotion of Biodiversity in Torrevieja, which the company CTL is implementing in the municipality within the framework of the Urban Pest Control Service contract.

The Department of Pest Control emphasizes that these types of initiatives demonstrate the municipal commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions, integrating biodiversity protection as a complementary tool in the management and prevention of urban pests.