The first calls of returning cuckoos and swallows swooping over dams are welcome signs that summer has arrived.

At Simbithi Eco-Estate, birdwatchers have been recording the return of migratory species, some having travelled thousands of kilometres to spend the warmer months in South Africa.

Their arrival coincided with World Migratory Bird Day, observed in May and October to highlight the extraordinary journeys birds make between continents and the importance of protecting their habitats.

“Migratory birds don’t recognise borders or property lines,” said Simbithi environmental manager Ayanda Duma.

“They depend on a network of healthy habitats stretching across countries and continents. Every protected wetland, forest and grassland along the way plays a part, and the North Coast is an important part of that network.”

Among the summer visitors recorded at Simbithi are European Honey Buzzards, Yellow-billed Kites, Barn and White-throated Swallows, White-rumped Swifts, Willow Warblers, African Pygmy Kingfishers, Violet-backed Starlings and African Paradise Flycatchers.

But it is the return of the cuckoos that creates particular excitement. Diederik, Black, Klaas’s and Red-chested Cuckoos all lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, leaving unsuspecting foster parents to raise their chicks.

In one unusual sighting, residents recorded a Klaas’s Cuckoo using a Black-throated Wattle-eye as its host. The sight of a much larger cuckoo chick being fed by a tiny foster parent is one of summer’s more remarkable spectacles.

Simbithi’s resident birders have built up an impressive record of local birdlife, with nearly 300 species documented on the estate.

Their observations are captured in the Birds of Simbithi book and contribute to ongoing conservation efforts.
These include monitoring African Woolly-necked Storks, some fitted with identification rings, and the rare Spotted Ground Thrush, a winter visitor whose seasonal movements have been recorded over several years.

For those hoping to spot summer visitors, Duma recommends watching indigenous fruiting trees and flowering coral trees, which attract sunbirds and white-eyes. Look out for termites emerging on the first sunny day after rain, a feast that draws birds in large numbers.

Residents can also help by planting indigenous species, keeping cats indoors at dawn and dusk and observing nesting birds from a distance.

“World Migratory Bird Day is a reminder that the birds in our gardens are part of a much bigger story,” said Duma.

“The more people notice them, the more likely we are to protect the places they depend on.”