A plan to save swifts from extinction is being rolled out in Waltham Forest.
The council is installing 'swift bricks' in new buildings to create and boost nesting opportunities for these birds.
Swift populations have dropped by more than 66 per cent between 1995 and 2022, the council said, due to habitat loss and the scarcity of their insect prey.
The council's initiative aims to reverse this trend.
Cllr Clyde Loakes MBE, deputy leader and cabinet member for climate and air quality, said: "For many people, the screeching call of swifts in the skies over our streets and parks is the soundtrack to summer.
"But unless we act now and act decisively, we risk losing these wonderful birds forever."
Swift bricks would provide a safe nesting environment for birds while remaining compatible with modern developments, according to the authority.
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Cllr Loakes said: "Swift bricks come at almost zero extra cost.
"They are an easy, proven and uncontroversial way of addressing the staggering loss in populations of not just swifts, but other birds of the highest conservation concern."
The practical adoption of swift boxes and similar measures will be encouraged in future borough developments through the council's forthcoming nature recovery plan and green and blue spaces supplementary planning document.
The council continues to work with residents and local organisations to deliver their emerging nature recovery plan and address the national biodiversity loss.
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