Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – Black Saw-wing

THERE are 16 species of swallow in South Africa of which six can be found in the Highway area. Swallows are generally not very co-operative for photographers as they seldom perch, so identifying them in flight is always a challenge. However, the Black Saw-wing is the only ‘all black’ swallow in the area, so people are unlikely to misidentify it.

Description

This bird is one of the few all black birds in the Highway area and has a distinctive swallow shape with a long forked tail. It is a relatively small swallow at 13 to 15cm in length, including the tail. Weight is approximately 11g. Males and females look alike with the females having a slightly shorter tail but that difference is quite difficult to spot! They also have black bills and brown eyes.

Distribution

This species is a breeding migrant and shares its time between Central Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. In South Africa, they occur in the eastern part of the country from the Western Cape through to Limpopo Province. They tend to arrive around August to September and are usually gone by the end of May. It is believed that some remain in the region and do not migrate.

Habitat

They are found primarily on the fringes of forest and are particularly keen on wet areas such as marshes and watercourses. In the Highway area, you are likely to see them in flight on the edges of the riverine forests.

Feeding

Almost all the feeding is done in the air where they hunt low-flying insects. Their flight speed while hunting is relatively slow when compared to other aerial feeders. Foraging is done mainly in the late afternoon.

Breeding

The Black Saw-wing is a monogamous species and pairs for life. They build a nest by excavating into sandbanks or riverbanks. The excavating is done by both adults and takes about three weeks’ work. The tunnels are narrow at approximately 25 to 38mm in diameter but they can be very deep and sometimes up to 1,3m into the bank. A nest is saucer-shaped and lined with grass and lichen. Incubation is done by the female but both adults feed and nurture the chicks. The Black Saw-wing is a solitary nester and does not share nesting sites as some other Swallows do.

Predators and threats

The Black Saw-wing is listed as ‘least concern’ by the The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and there are no significant threats to the species.