South African cliff swallow

South African cliff swallow
In flight, at Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, Gauteng, South Africa
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Hirundinidae
Genus:	Petrochelidon
Species:	P. spilodera
Binomial name
Petrochelidon spilodera Sundevall, 1850
Synonyms
Hirundo spilodera

The South African cliff swallow (Petrochelidon spilodera), also known as the South African swallow, is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae native to central−western and southern Africa.

It is found in Botswana, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Nests of the South African swallow under a highway bridge

Petrochelidon spilodera - MHNT

Nests are commonly built from mud under artificial structures such as huts and bridges.^[2] 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.^[3]

References[]

• BirdLife International 2004. Hirundo spilodera. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 26 July 2007.

External links[]

• South African Cliff Swallow - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.

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