South African Cliff Swallow
Photo © Andrew Deacon
Photo © Andrew Deacon — CC0 1.0 — Source: iNaturalist photo #350834325The South African cliff swallow (Petrochelidon spilodera), also known as the South African swallow, is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae native southern Africa. It winters to the lower Congo Basin. Nests are commonly built from mud under artificial structures such as huts and bridges. 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. == Gallery ==
Chobe National Park
Botswana
+446 birds+45 mammals
Where the Chobe River cuts a sinuous path through northern Botswana, the landscape transforms into one of Africa's most dynamic wetland-savanna mosaics. This national park encompasses…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTsavo East National Park
Athi ward, Kenya
+468 birds+50 mammals
Across the semi-arid lowlands of southeastern Kenya, where acacia woodland fragments into scrubland and the landscape rolls toward the Indian Ocean horizon, lies one of Africa's…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPilanesberg National Park
Moses Kotane Local Municipality, South Africa
+364 birds+49 mammals
Granite peaks and volcanic ridges rise unexpectedly from the savanna floor across this 734-square-kilometre expanse in the North West province, creating a landscape of profound ecological…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMokala National Park
Siyancuma Local Municipality, South Africa
+246 birds+35 mammals
Across the semi-arid savanna of the Northern Cape, where red earth meets sparse acacia woodland and open grassland punctuated by rocky outcrops, lies a landscape shaped…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKruger National Park
Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality, South Africa
+540 birds+91 mammals
Across the low-lying savanna of northeastern South Africa unfolds one of Africa's largest and most ecologically intact protected areas, where acacia woodlands merge into mopane scrub…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTankwa-Karoo National Park
Hantam Local Municipality, South Africa
+201 birds+20 mammals
Across the semi-arid heartland of the Northern Cape, where winter rains carve ephemeral watercourses through endless ochre plains, Tankwa-Karoo National Park sprawls across more than 3,100…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMountain Zebra National Park
Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality, South Africa
+265 birds+35 mammals
Across the windswept plateaus and deeply incised valleys of the Eastern Cape's interior, Mountain Zebra National Park unfolds as a landscape of geological drama and ecological…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKAddo Elephant National Park
Sundays River Valley Local Municipality, South Africa
+388 birds+55 mammals
Where the Eastern Cape's semi-arid scrublands meet transitional woodland, Addo sprawls across 13,478 square kilometres of one of southern Africa's most biodiverse landscapes. The terrain rises…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKIthala Game Reserve
uPhongolo Local Municipality, South Africa
+328 birds+26 mammals
Rolling thornbush savanna and acacia woodland dominate the landscape of this 494-square-kilometre national park in KwaZulu-Natal's uPhongolo Local Municipality, where granite outcrops punctuate grassland plateaus and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCamdeboo National Park
Camdeboo Local Municipality, South Africa
+272 birds+24 mammals
Granite ridges and weathered sandstone cliffs rise across a semi-arid landscape where the Karoo transitions into the eastern escarpment of South Africa, creating Camdeboo National Park's…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSperrgebiet National Park
Barcelona, Namibia
+181 birds+18 mammals
Where the Namib's ancient gravel plains meet the Atlantic coast, one of Africa's most remote and geologically austere landscapes unfolds across more than 56,000 square kilometres.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDorob National Park
Henties Bay, Namibia
+230 birds+13 mammals
Where the Skeleton Coast meets the Namib Desert's inland reaches, Dorob National Park sprawls across 34,021 square kilometres of one of southern Africa's most austere and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNamib-Naukluft National Park
Namibia
+217 birds+33 mammals
Across nearly 94,000 square kilometers of southwestern Namibia, a landscape of extremes unfolds where towering sand dunes meet rugged mountain ranges, and ancient riverbeds carve through…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBwabwata National Park
Namibia
+377 birds+35 mammals
Where the Kavango River winds through northeastern Namibia, vast floodplains and dense riparian woodland create one of southern Africa's most ecologically dynamic protected landscapes. Spanning 14,249…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKEtosha National Park
Namibia
+356 birds+58 mammals
Across northern Namibia's stark semi-arid plateau, a vast shallow depression transforms seasonally into one of Africa's most dramatic wildlife theaters. Etosha National Park, encompassing more than…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKWaterberg Plateau National Park
Okambukonde, Namibia
+198 birds+27 mammals
Where ancient sandstone cliffs rise 200 metres above the surrounding bushveld, a fortress of geology creates one of southern Africa's most compelling ecosystems. The plateau's steep…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKAwash National Park
Didiga, Ethiopia
+473 birds+23 mammals
Where the Ethiopian Rift Valley carves through volcanic plateaus, a ribbon of riverine forest winds through acacia scrubland and grassland, creating a mosaic of habitats that…
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