Blue Swallow (Hirundo atrocaearuela)
The Blue swallow is a typical hirundine swallow with beautiful metallic, blue-black plumage and long tail streamers. Occasionally there are some scattered white feathers in the iridescent blue plumage. This swallow is an intra-African migrant, arriving in South Africa in November and leaving in early April, and is only found in montane grasslands.
There are approximately 90 breeding pairs of Blue swallow in South Africa, and the majority of these are found in KZN – Ixopo, Donnybrook, Creighton, Impendle, Byrne. The most accessible site in KZN is a privately owned farm and nature reserve, Highover Wildlife Sanctuary. Guided tours and non-guided visits are easily arranged with prior contact - highover@telkomsa.net; +27 (0)33 212 3171 / +27 (0)33 212 9411. Blue swallows frequently re-use nest sites and are therefore easy to find from year to year. Being a summer visitor, the peak time for seeing the swallow is from November to early March.
Blue swallow has been listed as Critically Endangered.
Directions
The turnoff to Highover is on the Eastwolds / Hella Hella / Richmond gravel road, and is situated at 29°54'23.86"S, 30°05'54.07"E. Follow the driveway for approximately 100m to the farmhouse and the parking area. A R25 pp entrance fee is payable at the reception, where a map with directions is available. From the reception you need to get a key, and then continue up the road you turned off, over the Mkomazi River bridge, to the grassland site on top of the mountain.
| GPS Coordinates | ||
| Description | Latitude | Longitude |
| Entrance gate | 29°54'23.86"S | 30°05'54.07"E |