Swallows of Ubizane Wildlife Reserve:

With the rainy season well on the way, Ubizane is lucky enough to welcome back the Greater Striped Swallows. Being intra-African migrants, these swallows return to the southern parts of Africa during their breeding season. Over the past few weeks the Greater Striped Swallow has become a regular sighting, with their chatty call and regular swoops under the lodge’s thatched roofs.   

Swallow Nest outside GM's Office 

Swallows are well known for their nest building capabilities, made entirely of mud and wedged in between two supporting structures. The nest building process normally begins at the beginning of the breeding season, September through to May. It is during this period that the monogamous pair (Only having 1 partner) will either repair their nest that was built during the previous breeding season, or build a totally new one.

The Greater Striped Swallow is often mistaken as a ‘tame’ species, due to its close proximity to humans and its fondness of building its nests on buildings. Ubizane’s General Manager Natascha Pienaar, got to experience this ‘tame’ species firsthand one morning when a Greater Striped Swallow politely landed into her hand bag, which was sitting close to her office window.   

 Swallow with Mud on its beak, in Natascha 's hand

This particular Greater Striped Swallow has been working hard on his master piece of a nest, just outside our General Managers Office for quite some time, and he often perches on the open window.

Not long after Natascha fished the Swallow out of her bag, and released him outside; the Swallow was soon back to work on his masterpiece, perfecting it for his new arrivals.