Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Eastern Cape · Year-round
5 places
Go Birdingfrom Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is the most widespread species of swallow in the world.
Species insights
When to visit
Most records Nov to Mar
When Barn Swallow sightings peak, from open records. Outside these months it is seen less often, not never.
Best monthsNov to Mar
Recorded in Eastern Cape~224 records
Curve from 2,243 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property and not from this province. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Barn Swallow is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
2,243 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Barn Swallow
Stays that give back
Across the Eastern Cape
Aasvogelkrans Farm Cottages & Camping
Nieu Bethesda
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Nama-Karoo biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa and 1 other
From R 1,760 a night
Karoo Secret Farm Stay
Aberdeen
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Nama-Karoo biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,200 a night
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Barn Swallow recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Barn Swallow recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Barn Swallow recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kwandwe Fort House
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Barn Swallow recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Kwandwe Ecca Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Barn Swallow recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
More stays nearby
Cycads On Sea
St Francis Bay
Fynbos biome · Spekboom
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 2,460 a night
Pabala Private Nature Reserve
Hankey
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Giraffe · Impala
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 485 a night
Lupus Den Country House
Sundays River Valley, Addo
Albany Thicket biome · Black backed jackal · Bushbuck
Gives back to Wilderness Foundation Africa
From R 2,600 a night
Forest Hall Guest House
Walmer, Port Elizabeth
Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 1,050 a night
GweGwe Beach Lodge
Mkambati Nature Reserve
From R 12,950 a night
Quatermain's Camp
Paterson
Albany Thicket biome · Black wildebeest · Blesbok
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,592 a night
Karoo Cottage - Sneeuberg Nature Reserve
Sneeuberg Nature Reserve, Nieu Bethesda
Nama-Karoo biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 3,100 a night
Hlosi Game Lodge
Amakhala Game Reserve
Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Spekboom
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 4,000 a night
Hitgeheim Country Lodge Addo
Sundays River Valley, Addo
Albany Thicket biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 2,000 a night
Walkerbouts Inn - Rhodes
Rhodes
Birder friendly · Grassland biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 600 a night
Storms River Mouth Rest Camp (Tsitsikamma)
Garden Route National Park
Forest biome · Arum lily · Krantz aloe
From R 457 a night
Mountain Zebra National Park
Mountain Zebra National Park
Grassland biome · Black wildebeest · Springbok
From R 449 a night
Langebos Huts
Addo Elephant National Park
Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
From R 2,093 a night
Bo-kloof Guest Farm
Baviaanskloof
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Wilderness Foundation Africa
Price on request
Spekboom Tented Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
Albany Thicket biome · Black backed jackal · Spotted hyena
From R 1,490 a night
Camdeboo Rest Camp
Camdeboo National Park
Albany Thicket biome · Blesbok · Springbok
From R 345 a night
Gordonville Manor - Sneeuberg Nature Reserve
Sneeuberg Nature Reserve, Nieu Bethesda
Nama-Karoo biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Boundless
Price on request
The Garden Route
Next stop
Forests, lagoons, and Knysna's sheltered bay
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Barn Swallow
Hosts have recorded the Barn Swallow at stays in or beside Kwandwe Private Game 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.
Ways to look
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
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 Eastern Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Barn Swallow at stays in or beside Kwandwe Private Game Reserve. 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. 7 places to stay on Spekboom in Eastern Cape 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".