Barn Swallows Spring Alive Campaign at Mount Moreland 

The Barn Swallow is a small (c. 18 g) migratory bird which spends the summer months in South Africa. These swallows migrate from Europe/Asia into Africa, with millions of birds filling the South African sky during our summer months.  

Barn Swallows roost communally, usually in flooded Phragmites reedbeds, and one of the awe inspiring sights is watching hundreds of thousands of Barn Swallows milling around a roost at dusk before they descend in to the reedbed for the night. Some roosts can consist of several million Barn Swallows, and the Mt Moreland roost (adjacent to King Shaka Airport) is one of the largest and most well known roosts in South Africa. 

Although Barn Swallows are still very numerous, the global population is probably decreasing, especially in Europe. This swallow is vulnerable to land-use changes, habitat degradation, and loss of wetland (roosting) habitats, poisons, and perhaps climate change. Southern African Bird Atlas 2 data has shown that there have been changes in Barn Swallow migration departure/arrival dates, and this is almost certainly linked to climate change. 

BirdLife South Africa has scheduled activities to “Spring Alive Campaign” on the 3 September 2011 from 10h00 to 12H00 at Mount Moreland, the world’s popular roosting site near King Shaka Airport in Durban.

Come and Join us, parents, kids, schools children and bird watchers  

Contact: for more details please contact Joe Peu on education@birdlife.org.za  or phone him at 011 789 1122.  

Notes for the editor  

1. The mission of BirdLife South Africa is to promote the enjoyment, conservation, study and understanding of wild birds and their habitats.  

2. BirdLife South Africa contact details: Lewis House, 239 Barkston Drive, Blairgowrie, P.O. Box 515, Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa, Tel. +27-11-7891122, Fax. +27-11-7895188, e-mail address: secretary@birdlife.org.za , website: www.birdlife.org.za