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Where to see

Where to see the Barn Swallow in South Africa

Hosts have recorded the Barn Swallow at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Cederberg Wilderness Area and Goukamma Nature Reserve.

Hirundo rustica

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Barn Swallow
Photo: (c) Donald Davesne, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Donald Davesne

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Barn Swallow

Hosts have recorded the Barn Swallow at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Cederberg Wilderness Area and Goukamma Nature Reserve.

Best hours of the day

  • The first hours after sunrise, and late afternoon. Birds call and feed most in the cool.
  • Midday. Quieter, especially in summer heat.

Where to base yourself

  • Western Cape

    Western Cape

    Cederberg Wilderness Area · Goukamma · Anysberg

    Self-driveMalaria-free
    Stays in Western Cape
    Western Cape
  • Limpopo

    Limpopo

    Kruger · Timbavati

    Self-driveGuided drives
    Stays in Limpopo
    Limpopo
  • Northern Cape

    Northern Cape

    Kgalagadi

    Self-driveMalaria-free
    Stays in Northern Cape
    Northern Cape
  • Eastern Cape

    Eastern Cape

    Kwandwe

    Guided drivesMalaria-free
    Stays in Eastern Cape
    Eastern Cape

Ways to look

Drive yourself

Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.

Where hosts record it

KrugerCederberg Wilderness AreaGoukammaAnysbergGamkaberg

Guided drives from a lodge

A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.

Where hosts record it

KwandweTimbavati

Species

Hirundo rustica

Records

2,243

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

A record means a host has seen the Barn Swallow on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.

Which parks and reserves are best for the Barn Swallow in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Barn Swallow at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and other reserves. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.

Where can you see the Barn Swallow in South Africa?

The Barn Swallow is most recorded in Western Cape (34% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (24% of records), Mpumalanga (11% of records), based on 2,243 iNaturalist observations. 100 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Barn Swallow on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the Barn Swallow?

Sightings of the Barn Swallow peak from Nov to Mar, based on 2,243 iNaturalist records. You may still see it outside those months, sightings are just less frequent.

What is the Barn Swallow?

The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. In Anglophone Europe it is just called the swallow; in Northern Europe it is the only common species called a "swallow" rather than a "martin".

Stays that give back

Where to stay for a chance to see the Barn Swallow

Every stay on the Barn Swallow page lists the species its host has recorded on or near the property. A record is a sighting, never a promise.

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