teetering Kaapsehoop, a charming village in the mountains of ’s Province, is synonymous with the Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea. Throughout living memory, this iconic grassland species has graced the rolling hills that provide South Africa’s Blue Swallows in trouble the backdrop to the village, and generations of birders have flocked here to witness the metallic-blue swallows diving into sinkholes and aardvark burrows to attend to their chicks. But no longer. Since the summer of 2008–09, not a single Blue Swallow has been recorded breeding at Kaapsehoop. The grasslands, sinkholes and aardvark burrows are still there, but the swallows have gone.

he disappearance of the swallows that other factors are behind the collapse. from Kaapsehoop is not unique, It is possible that the swallows are being af­ or even particularly unusual. In fected by events taking place far from their 2002, Mpumalanga was home to breeding sites. One recent study flagged anT estimated 26 pairs of this Critically En­ the potential for air pollution from urban dangered species. A decade later, the cor­ centres (such as ) interacting responding number is just four pairs. To with chemicals emitted by pine planta­ make matters worse, the downward spiral tions to produce compounds that impair of the Blue Swallow population in Mpu­ the waterproofing­ of the swallows’ plum­ malanga echoes events for this species age and negatively affect their ability to elsewhere in South Africa. forage in misty weather. The Wolkberg range, a jumble of soaring Part of the answer undoubtedly lies in peaks and misty kloofs, towers above the the fact that, in South Africa, the Blue Swal­ Lowveld town of Tzaneen and the idyllic low has become an island species. Formerly mountain hideaway of Haenertsburg. This unbroken tracts of grassland have become is an area of seemingly endless grassland, fragmented into ‘islands’ of suitable habitat­ Wintering site riddled with caves and sinkholes. Most of surrounded by a ‘sea’ of plantations and Breeding site it is formally protected and, theoretically agriculture. As David Quammen eloquently at least, the Wolkberg should be a strong­ explains in his book The Song of the Dodo, hold for the Blue Swallow. The birds bred island species are inherently vulnerable to here until the early years of the 21st cen­ unpredictable strokes of misfortune, such tury, yet they are no longer there. Occa­ as extreme weather events and outbreaks sional sightings around Haenertsburg are of disease. A small, isolated Blue Swallow still reported, but these birds seem to be population is far more likely to be pushed individuals on migration. The great irony over the edge into extinction than is a large of the Blue Swallow’s disappearance from population spread over an extensive area the Wolkberg is that it has taken place des­ of suitable habitat. It is easy to ima­gine, pite the region being largely unaffected for instance, the Kaapsehoop swallows be­ by the habitat loss that has occurred else­ ing decimated by an unseasonably late cold where; indeed, this is the largest formally front soon after they completed their spring conserved area of Blue Swallow habitat migration from Central Africa, with their left in South Africa. body stores depleted by the long and ardu­ Why have recent years been so unkind ous journey. A century ago, sites of such to South Africa’s Blue Swallows? The short localised extinctions would have stood a answer is that we simply don’t know. His­ good chance of being recolonised, but the torically, the conversion of grassland to small size and fragmented nature of today’s agriculture and forestry has been a key populations make this eventuality extreme­ Facing an uncertain future... South contributor to the species’ decline, but the ly unlikely. Africa’s Blue Swallow population has recent population crashes have taken place Another possibility is that the survival of declined sharply in the past few years, in the absence of major habitat loss. The fledglings in their first year of life has de­ leaving conservationists scrambling to disappearance of the birds from sites like creased to the point that breeding popula­ prevent the local extinction of this iconic Text by Andrew McKechnie and Ian Little Kaapsehoop and the Wolkberg indicate tions are no longer being replenished. grassland species. Photographs by Daniel Danckwaerts august/september 2012 blue swallows 29 Solving the riddle of the Blue Swallow’s troubles During the summer of 2011–12, a team from the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is made more difficult by the lack of information started PIT-tagging Blue Swallow nestlings surrounding many fundamental aspects of its in KwaZulu-Natal. From late 2012, nest sites will be monitored for returning birds natural history by positioning a PIT-tag reader near the burrow entrance to record the iden­tities of Even seemingly small reductions in hab­ any tagged individuals flying to the nest. itat quality along migration routes, for The value of this long-term project extends example,­ may prove to be an insurmount­ far beyond simply establishing whether able challenge for young birds at a time in individuals return to the same nest site their life that is energet­ically stressful. The in successive seasons. It will, for instance, decreased survival of juvenile birds in a also yield vital information on cooperative species that has a generation length of only breeding in the swallows by identifying in­ three years could easily be the reason for dividuals other than the parents that may the loss of small, fragmented populations be involved in raising young. from the breeding grounds, as has been oc­ Another problem facing conservation­ curring in South Africa and Swaziland in ists is that very little is known about the recent years. Blue Swallow’s migration routes. As far Solving the riddle of the Blue Swallow’s as we know, birds that breed in South Af­ Below Blue Swallow nestlings in KwaZulu- troubles is made more difficult by the lack rica, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Natal are currently being microchipped in of information surrounding many funda­ southern Tanzania all spend the winter an effort to identify the individuals using a mental aspects of its natural history. Even in seasonally flooded grasslands around particular nest in successive years. the ‘fact’ that individual birds return to Lake Victoria, at sites such as Sango Bay in the same nest site in successive seasons Uganda. However it remains unclear, for Below, right Ian Little from the Endangered has not yet been verified; with one pos­ example, whether birds from the South Wildlife Trust checks a nest site for breeding sible exception, there have been no recov­ African breeding grounds use the same activity. eries of ringed individuals. In this regard wintering sites as Zimbabwean birds. at least, there is light at the end of the tun­ A stable-isotope project led by the late Opposite Going, going, gone? Unless nel. It is now feasible to remotely identify James Wakelin (see Africa – Birds & Bird- the current decline in the South African individuals flying into particular nest sites ing 14(5): 36–40) has shed some light on population is halted, we will soon need using passive integrated transponder (PIT) this question, revealing that birds from to travel to the Eastern Highlands of tags, the same rice-grain-sized devices different breeding grounds are distinguish­ Zimbabwe to see active Blue Swallow nests. used to microchip domestic pets. able on the basis of the biochemical

ian little tanya smith

30 blue swallows signatures of their feathers. When the devices that weigh just 1.3 grams and use the Tanzanian birds nest in buildings and isotope ratios of feathers from seven GPS signals to log the position of an ani­ under bridges, in much the same manner swallows caught by Wakelin at Sango Bay mal at regular intervals. These data can as other swallow species. Interestingly, this in 2005 were analysed, the data suggest­ then be downloaded from distances of behaviour has also recently been docu­ ed that four of the birds originated from up to about 20 metres. While 1.3 grams is mented at a site in Zimbabwe, with a pair of the breeding population in South Africa/ still too heavy for a 13-gram Blue Swallow swallows nesting indoors in a busy kitchen. Swaziland and a further two belonged to to carry, hopefully these devices will be­ The review of the species’ current sta­ the Malawian/Tanzanian breeding popu­ come smaller and lighter. Perhaps by the tus also underscored how little is known lation. Future studies involving analyses end of the decade it will be feasible to at­ about the population in the Democratic of more feathers from wintering birds tach such a device to a Blue Swallow and Republic of Congo (DRC). The swallows rtist Bruce Clements began sculpting will hopefully allow us to better under­ download detailed tracks of its north- and are thought to breed in the Marungu high­ Aat the age of six and he continues stand the connections between various southwards migration when it returns the lands, west of the southern reaches of Lake to work in bronze in his professional breeding and non-breeding sites. following season. Tanganyika, and Upemba National Park in career. He was taught by and has worked Knowing where specific breeding pop­ the far south-east. The wintering area for with some of South Africa’s top artists, ulations spend the winter months will What does the future these birds seems to be the Lendu plateau and photographs of his sculptures have be a key element in solving the riddle in north-eastern DRC, across the border appeared internationally in newspapers of the species’ decline. But we also need hold for the Blue from Uganda. These DRC swallows, which and magazines, and on websites. He is to know the exact routes that migrating Swallow? Of all its it is suspected represent a geographically inspired by the technical aspect of any swallows follow between their breed­ discrete sub-population, are intriguing in artistic challenge and his work as a ing and wintering areas, because factors major range states, that they seem to use much the same type foundryman has proved invaluable. along migration routes could also be South Africa is by far the of habitat on their wintering grounds as Clements, who is gaining a reputation instrumental in the recent decline. The they do when breeding, namely mid- to as a specialist in sculpting endangered most significant obstacle in this regard one whose population high-altitude grasslands. All the other sub- species, donates half the proceeds from is the swallow’s small size. Whereas sat­ populations breed in montane grasslands, the sale of his work to the conservation ellite transmitters are currently avail­ seems to be most in peril and their wintering habitat consists of of the species concerned. able for large-bodied groups such as seasonally flooded grasslands interspersed This bronze sculpture forms part of a Identifying the routes taken by Blue flamingos, waterfowl and large raptors, n March 2012, representatives from with forest patches at lower altitudes in limited edition of 90, which represents the Swallows migrating between their even the smallest transmitters are too nearly all the Blue Swallow’s range the area surrounding Lake Victoria. estimated number of Blue Swallows left in breeding and wintering grounds is big and heavy to mount on a swallow- states met in KwaZulu-Natal. The What does the future hold for the Blue South Africa. Each sculpture is mounted critical for the species’ conservation. sized bird. But there is glimmer of hope: goal of the workshop, which was Swallow? Of all its major range states, on an oiled teak base (recycled railway a Polish company is manufacturing fundedI by the FitzPatrick Institute, was to South Africa is by far the one whose popu­ sleeper) and sells for R3 000. The pro- take stock of the current status of the swal­ lation seems to be most in peril. With ceeds will go to the Endangered Wildlife low and update the Species Action Plan fewer than 40 nesting pairs and 100 indi­ Trust’s Blue Swallow conservation project. Haenertsburg Haenertsburg Haenertsburg that was formulated at a similar meeting vidual birds remaining, we have very lit­ For orders or more information, con-

LIMPOPO LIMPOPO LIMPOPO a decade earlier at Kaapsehoop. The data tle room in which to manoeuvre, and the tact Bruce Clements on +27 (0)83 434 presented by the delegates reiterated the next few years will determine the fate of 1886 or e-mail bruceclements@hotmail.

Graskop precarious state of the South African and this majestic­ little bird in South Africa. com, or Dr Ian Little, Manager: Threat- Graskop MOZAMBIQUE MOZAMBIQUE Swazi populations and confirmed that Realistically, it seems highly unlikely that ened Grassland Species Programme, MOZAMBIQUE Kaapsehoop Kaapsehoop Kaapsehoop the species’ strongholds are the eastern the Mpumalanga population will sur­ Endangered Wildlife Trust, on +27 (0)84 Zimbabwe highlands, the Nyika Plateau vive the next five years. Although the 240 7341 or e-mail [email protected] Pigg’s Pigg’s Pigg’s Peak Peak in northern Malawi and the highlands of Kwa­Zulu-Natal population is stable at pre­ Peak MPUMALANGA MPUMALANGA

MPUMALANGA GAUTENG GAUTENG GAUTENG SWAZILAND SWAZILAND SWAZILAND south-western Tanzania. sent, the disquieting fact is that until very A key issue to emerge from the workshop recently the same was true in Mpumalan­ is that the Tanzanian refuge, which com­ ga, and we have no way of predicting if or prises a vast area of grassland and holds a when the same inexplicable declines will FREE Ngome FREE Ngome FREE Ngome STATE STATE STATE sizable number of the swallows, is facing a begin among the KwaZulu-Natal birds. KWAZULU­ KWAZULU­ KWAZULU­ NATAL NATAL NATAL Nkandla Nkandla Nkandla massive threat in the form of extensive for­ In this regard, the recent extinctions at estry developments that are being planned Ngome in northern KwaZulu-Natal and Greytown Greytown Greytown for the region. This is a mirror image of the Blinkwater Nature Reserve in the Mid­ LESOTHO LESOTHO LESOTHO what happened to the once-extensive mist­ lands are extremely concerning. Unless belt grasslands of Mpumalanga and the we are able to identify the precise causes Ixopo Ixopo Ixopo KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. of recent population declines and imple­ INDIAN Harding INDIAN Harding INDIAN Harding It also emerged from the workshop that ment urgent conservation interventions, OCEAN OCEAN OCEAN the species’ nesting behaviour differs sig­ it is highly likely that the Blue Swallow EASTERN CAPE EASTERN CAPE EASTERN CAPE nificantly across its range. Whereas birds will be the third species (after the African Distribution in South Africa of the Blue Swallow in the 1800s (left), 2005 (centre) and 2012 (right). Red crosses indicate local extinctions from South Africa/Swaziland, Zimbabwe Skimmer and Egyptian Vulture) to become that have taken place since 2005. Data for the 1800s and 2005 from Evans & Bouwman (2010), Bird Conserv. Int. 20:1–15. and Malawi build their nests almost exclus­ regionally extinct within the borders of ively in sinkholes and aardvark burrows, South Africa.

32 blue swallows AFRICA – BIRDS & BIRDING august/september 2012 blue swallows 33