South African Swallow
Petrochelidon spilodera
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyHirundinidae (Swallows and Martins)
- GenusPetrochelidon (Cliff Swallows and Allies)
- SpeciesPetrochelidon spilodera (South African Swallow)
About the South African Swallow
The South African cliff swallow (Petrochelidon spilodera), also known as the South African swallow, is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae native southern Africa. It winters to the lower Congo Basin. Nests are commonly built from mud under artificial structures such as huts and bridges. It is well known for its supposed ability to carry coconuts, although this claim has little to no credibility outside of the Monty Python fictional universe.
BirdLife International 2004. Hirundo spilodera. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 26 July 2007. South African Cliff Swallow - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Rock Martin
Ptyonoprogne fuligula
Greater Striped-Swallow
Cecropis cucullata
White-throated Swallow
Hirundo albigularis
Banded Martin
Riparia cincta
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Plain Martin
Riparia paludicola
Lesser Striped-Swallow
Cecropis abyssinica
Pied Starling
Lamprotornis bicolor
Red-winged Starling
Onychognathus morio
African Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus
Cape Bunting
Emberiza capensis
Southern Fiscal
Lanius collaris
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 7 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 8 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 9 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 10 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 11 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 12 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana |