Barn Swallows l Mount Moreland l Mount Moreland Lofts l Migration

The annual migration of the Barn Swallows, near the Mount Moreland lofts in Mount Moreland, is indeed a sight to behold. It is widely regarded as the unofficial announcer of the spring/summer in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The best viewing here in South Africa, is near the Mount Moreland lofts in the Lake Victoria Wetland, which is about 5 kilometers away from the town of Umdloti. Lake Victoria is responsible for hosting South Africa’s largest Barn Swallow roost, estimated at 3 million Barn Swallows, who can be seen flying gracefully over the wetland before diving into the reeds below. This remarkable sight is usually witnessed from October until mid-April against backdrops that will take your breath away. During the month of March spectators are treated to a spectacular show as the Barn Swallows get ready for their migration back to Europe. Their flight patterns are whimsical, and their chirping sound filled with excitement in anticipation of the 10 000 kilometer journey.

The Barn Swallows have been noted for their impressive displays at Mount Moreland from as far back as the 1970’s but only came into the limelight when residents founded the Mount Moreland Conservancy. In the 1990’s, the conservancy set up an annual event for the return of the Barn Swallows, which took many years to catch on. Through modern media the creation of interest has become more successful, and by 2005 the number of swallow watchers grew tremendously.

The Mount Moreland Conservancy runs the public Barn Swallow viewing site, and is made up of the residents of this area who are keen to maintain an environmental balance. This viewing site came into being in 2006, with its only purpose to highlight the plight of the Barn Swallows, in the development of the King Shaka International Airport.

The first Mount Moreland resident to record the movement of the Barn Swallows was Ted Vickers. He spent over 15 years recording the dates of their arrival and departure and much of his data has been incorporated into a scientific paper.

The Barn Swallow site in Mount Moreland is world famous and is closely watched internationally. The area has been declared an I.B.A – Important Bird Area – and holds over 1 percent of the Barn Swallow population. Due to this, the Barn Swallow has special protection as any disaster in the population here, could be devastating to the birds in Europe.

Contact Mark on +27837901708 or raubenheimerl.m@telkomsa.net