Hannah Bourne-Taylor's Naked Campaign for Swift Conservation
Hannah Bourne-Taylor, the 'bird lady' from Clarkson's Farm, has revealed that she walked through the streets of London naked twice to draw attention to her government petition aimed at protecting swifts from extinction. The petition called for the mandatory installation of swift bricks in all new-build homes across the UK.
In an Instagram post to her 195,000 followers, Bourne-Taylor explained that she realized the petition needed 100,000 signatures within six months for a parliamentary debate—a target she felt was 'impossible for the ordinary person' to achieve through conventional means. 'So that’s why I launched the campaign naked,' she said. 'I hoped that by giving everything I had, there would be a strength in my own vulnerability - in my own conviction. No media would have covered a little bird petition if I had done everything the same but with my clothes on.'
Fastest-Growing Government Petition
Her strategy worked. The petition became the fastest-growing government petition of its time, amassing 109,896 signatures by its closure. This success allowed her to walk naked again alongside Lord Zac Goldsmith to attend a government meeting. However, while the debate united several MPs across parties, the then-Tory government rejected the proposal. Labour had 'strongly supported' the legislation, but later blocked it in autumn 2025. 'So the fight to save our swifts continues in England,' Bourne-Taylor added.
Why Swift Bricks Matter
A swift brick is a hollow brick embedded into walls to provide safe nesting spaces for endangered swifts, house sparrows, and other cavity-nesting birds. They require no maintenance and counteract the loss of natural crevices caused by modern construction. 'Without swift bricks, it is likely that we will be the first country to lose a species that has existed for 50 million years,' Bourne-Taylor claimed. She noted that Scotland mandated swift bricks in 2026 and urged her followers to contact MPs and the Prime Minister to demand similar measures for the rest of the UK.
Bourne-Taylor's appearance on the fifth series of Clarkson's Farm, which premiered on Amazon Prime in June, showcased her deep passion for birds. She impressed Jeremy Clarkson by identifying rare species and revealing that she had let a bird nest in her hair for 84 days. Reflecting on her campaign, she said: 'If I thought it would actually work, I’d do it again.'
