Swallows linger too long, foul streets in Vietnam’s Can Tho

The new Can Tho City was formed by merging the old city with Soc Trang and Hau Giang Provinces in July 2025.

On Sunday morning, residents along Hai Ba Trung Street in Phu Loi Ward were seen hosing down sidewalks and scrubbing in front of their homes to remove layers of droppings left overnight.

White droppings filled the street surface and sidewalks, emitting a strong, fishy odor.

Quyen, owner of a clothing store on Hai Ba Trung Street, said the number of swallows roosting on power lines and telecommunications cables in front of her shop has increased steadily in recent days.

“There’s no space left on the wires. They arrive at dusk and don’t leave until dawn,” she said.

“At first it felt pleasant, like a sign of spring. But now there are too many. Their droppings land on customers’ vehicles, the road, and the sidewalks.

“If we don’t wash the droppings for just two days, the smell is unbearable. Night vendors have to set up tarps and umbrellas just to cope."

Without a water hose, Tung, another local, has been carrying dozens of buckets of water every morning to clean the sidewalk in front of his house.

“The swallows have come in huge numbers over the past few days,” he said.

“The droppings are overwhelming, creating a thick layer on the street and sidewalks and a very unpleasant smell. People riding through here often get splattered."

Some residents, unable to tolerate the pollution, have tried makeshift deterrents.

Colorful plastic bags are tied together and hung near the birds’ roosting spots, while others have flown kites from rooftops in an effort to scare the swallows away from the power lines.

Still, many locals are willing to coexist with the birds.

Chau, who has lived on Hai Ba Trung Street for nearly 60 years, said she has never seen such a large number of swallows roosting in the area.

“They’ve been here for more than two months,” she said.

“At first, we thought they were just stopping briefly to shelter from a storm before moving on. However, they’ve stayed much longer than expected.

“It’s inconvenient at times, but it’s also a remarkable sight. At dusk, they fill the sky before settling onto the wires."

Swallows first appeared in large numbers along Hai Ba Trung Street about two months ago.

At twilight, thousands circle overhead before landing on power lines and telecommunications cables, then departing again at dawn to forage.

The number of swallows has continued to grow over the past few days.

The roughly-one-kilometer stretch of Hai Ba Trung Street has become overcrowded, forcing the birds to spread to adjacent streets, including Nguyen Hue, Cach Mang Thang Tam, Nguyen Van Troi, and 30-4.