Hotspot for Swallows

©U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

A Nigerian hotspot for migratory swallows, Hirundo rustica, is under threat, according to the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The recently discovered roost is a major wintering ground for birds that fly to Europe and Asia each spring. Located approximately two kilometers outside Cross River National Park, the site is one of only two known roosts in Cross River State, a coastal region in southeastern Nigeria.

Preliminary surveys by WCS indicate that the roost may attract millions of swallows and be of international significance. But as farms encroach on the site, it appears to be under threat of destruction and in need of conservation measures. WCS has already contacted park officials to see if the roost can be formally protected.

“The fact that swallows congregate in large numbers in the winter makes them vulnerable to hunting and could have a significant impact on numbers if protection is not given,” said Andrew Dunn of the WCS Nigeria Program. While the swallows are not endangered, their numbers are declining.

The other swallow roost in Cross River State, at a site known as Boje, is considered one of the largest swallow roosts in Africa. However, it has suffered in recent years from hunting by local people, who capture the swallows for food. Still, it remains an important destination for tourists who come to see the spectacle of millions of birds gathering in a relatively small area each night.

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