iSimangaliso Wetland Park
KwaZulu-Natal · Year-round
1 place
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Wire-tailed Swallow
Hirundo smithii
The wire-tailed swallow (Hirundo smithii) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family.
Species insights
When to visit
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Best monthsAny month
Recorded in KwaZulu-Natal~242 records
Curve from 806 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
Mpumalanga and beyond
Provinces where Wire-tailed Swallow is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
806 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Wire-tailed Swallow
Stays that give back
Across KwaZulu-Natal
Weenen
Weenen Game Reserve
From R 130a night
Wire-tailed Swallow recorded here
Ithala (Ntshondwe)
Ithala Game Reserve
From R 130a night
Wire-tailed Swallow recorded here
Kosi Forest Lodge
iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Price on request
Reliably seen · Birder friendly
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The Midlands
Next stop
Rolling green hills, dairy farms, and pottery studios
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Wire-tailed Swallow
Hosts have recorded the Wire-tailed Swallow at stays in or beside iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Ithala Game Reserve and Weenen 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.
IUCN Red List
Least Concern
Species
Hirundo smithii
Records
806
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Wire-tailed Swallow on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Wire-tailed Swallow in KwaZulu-Natal?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Wire-tailed Swallow at stays in or beside iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Ithala Game Reserve and Weenen 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 Wire-tailed Swallow in South Africa?
The Wire-tailed Swallow is most recorded in Mpumalanga (46% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (30% of records), Limpopo (25% of records), based on 806 iNaturalist observations. 3 places to stay on Spekboom in KwaZulu-Natal have recorded the Wire-tailed Swallow on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Wire-tailed Swallow?
The Wire-tailed Swallow is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. iSimangaliso Wetland Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Ithala Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Weenen Game Reserve: year-round, dry winter Apr-Sep. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the conservation status of the Wire-tailed Swallow?
The Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii) is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
What is the Wire-tailed Swallow?
The wire-tailed swallow (Hirundo smithii) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It has two subspecies: H. s. smithii, which occurs throughout Africa, and H. s. filifera, which is found in southern and southeastern Asia. It is mainly resident, but populations in Pakistan and northern India migrate further south in winter. The genus name Hirundo is the Latin word for swallow.