EURING SWALLOW PROJECT

BARN SWALLOW HIRUNDO RUSTICA RINGING
IN SOUTHERN AFRICA (1998/99 - 2000/01)

by Rick Nuttall

NATIONAL MUSEUM, PO BOX 266
BLOEMFONTEIN 9300, SOUTH AFRICA
E-mail: ornito@nasmus.co.za

Introduction

In an attempt to improve the numbers of Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica handled by ringers in southern Africa, and in this way to assist with the EURING Swallow Project, a few roosts have been targeted during the last three southern summers (1998/99 - 2000/01). Apart from the obvious data on controlled birds, mass and moult data, and to a lesser extent, fat score indices, have also been recorded.

Numbers of swallows ringed

A total of 13,354 swallows have been ringed in southern Africa (including Botswana, Namibia, Zambia & Zimbabwe) during this period by a total of 53 ringers, although seven ringers only have contributed over 11,000 of the birds ringed (data provided by SAFRING; Table 1). This is largely as a result of two roosts being worked, the one in Bloemfontein (see below), Free State, situated centrally in South Africa, and the other near Middelburg, Mpumalanga, in the north-east of the country.

Numbers of foreign-ringed swallows controlled/recovered in southern Africa

A highlight of any ringing activity is the recapture or controlling of ringed birds; this is especially so when attention is focussed on Palearctic migrant species, such as the Barn Swallow. At the time of writing (10 July 2001), a total of 44 foreign-ringed swallows have been controlled or recovered in southern Africa during the last three southern summers. An indication of the activity at and success provided by the Bloemfontein roost is the fact that 29 of this total of 44 birds have been caught here.

The majority of the foreign-ringed swallows were ringed in Great Britain, while a number were also ringed in Finland, Norway and Denmark. A single Italian-ringed swallow was controlled at the Bloemfontein roost early in 1999.

Table 1 - Summary of Barn Swallows ringed in southern Africa (1998/99 - 2000/01).

Numbers of southern African-ringed swallows controlled/recovered outside of the region

During this same period, information has been received for 13 swallows ringed in southern African countries and controlled/recovered elsewhere. Again, the majority of these records are from Great Britain, but single records also exist for Sweden and Uganda.

Numbers of southern African-ringed swallows controlled/recovered in southern African countries

A total of 51 swallows have been controlled/recovered within southern Africa; 45 of these at the Bloemfontein roost. The time period separating dates of initial and subsequent capture of the latter birds during a single season ranges from 1-72 days.

The Bloemfontein Swallow Project

Swallows have been caught and ringed at a roost in trees in a suburban garden in Bloemfontein since early 1998. Favourable conditions for catching comparatively large numbers of birds in a short period of time have resulted in the capture and ringing of almost 7500 swallows during 29 ringing sessions during the report period (Table 2). Low numbers of birds ringed during the last season are probably attributable to unfavourable weather conditions (very hot and dry) for swallows in the central parts of the country, while the north-eastern parts of the country experienced moist conditions and consequently, higher numbers of swallows.

Table 2 - Barn Swallows ringed at the Universitas, Bloemfontein roost

Foreign-ringed swallows have originated mainly from Great Britain, but Scandinavian countries are also well represented (Table 3).

Table 3 - Foreign controls of Barn Swallows at the Universitas, Bloemfontein roost.

Further details can be found by visiting the Bloemfontein Swallow Project web site at www.nasmus.co.za/ornithol/swallow1.html.

It is hoped that weather conditions during the 2001/02 summer will again be favourable for optimum swallow activity and thus ringing in central South Africa. An effort will also be made to encourage ringers in other parts of the region to actively target swallow roosts.

Acknowledgements

Sincere thanks to those who submitted data for inclusion in this report, and especially to Dieter Oschadleus, SAFRING Co-ordinator, for summary data provided at short notice. The Bloemfontein Swallow Project would not have been possible without the generous sponsorship of Norwegian swallow ringing colleagues as well as the dedication of a handful of keen ringers.

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