factmonster.com
Back from winter vacation in Argentina
by Gerry Brown
They’re on their way.
The famous cliff swallows of San Juan Capistrano, that leave town every year in a swirling mass near the Day of San Juan (October 23), are returning from their winter vacation spot 6,000 miles south in Goya, Corrientes, Argentina.
They land at the mission in San Juan, California, on or around St. Joseph’s Day, March 19, to the ringing bells of the old church and a crowd of visitors from all over the world who are in town awaiting their arrival and celebrating with a huge fiesta as well as a parade.
Seeking Solace in the Mission
Legend has it that the swallows took refuge in the Mission San Juan Capistrano from an irate innkeeper who destroyed their muddy nests. The swallows return to the old ruined church each spring knowing they will be protected within the mission’s walls. In fact, the city has taken their safety seriously passing an ordinance against destroying their nests.So-called “scout swallows” precede the main flock each year by a few days but the majority of the small birds usually arrives on the 19th and begins rebuilding the mud nests that cling to the ruins of the old stone church and throughout the Capistrano Valley.
The Oldest Building in California
The mission, originally built from 1776–1806, was seriously damaged in 1812 by a deadly earthquake and was never fully rebuilt. It is the seventh in a chain of 21 California Missions all supposedly separated by the distance of a day’s walk. The Mission was named for the Crusader, Saint John of Capistrano, who had taken the name of his Italian birthplace. Padre Junipero Serra was a Spanish Franciscan priest who founded the church on November 1, 1776, and the adobe Serra Chapel section of the mission has been rebuilt and it is now the oldest building in California still in use today.The mission is located near two rivers and was an ideal spot for the swallows to nest for years because of the abundance of the insects on which they feed. The reduction in numbers of the insects, largely as a result of the development of the area, has caused some of the swallows to locate further from the center of town and explains why there are no longer huge clouds of swallows descending on the Mission. Still, it’s quite a sight.
June 30th, 2006
dailydemocrat.com
By Democrat Staff
Daily Democrat
As farmer Duane Chamberlain watched the swallows in his garage, he checked his calendar. It was March 8, and his barn swallows were back, exactly the same date as last year.
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“How they make their way back from South America, where they spend their winters, to my garage every spring amazes me,” he said.
He’s always glad to see them because he likes watching them and swallows feed on insects, spending a large part of each day catching flies, beetles and mosquitoes. As for his car and the mess they make, he just parks it outside until the young fledge.
Swallows nest where there’s a combination of buildings, open space, the right type of mud for nests and open water for drinking. In general they come back to the site where they previously nested, often claiming and rebuilding old nests. Cliff swallow nests are gourd-shaped and they often nest in colonies of several hundred pairs. In contrast, barn swallow nests are cup-shaped and they tend to nest as single pairs.
It takes about one to two weeks for swallows to build nests with up to 1,400 trips to a mud source to complete one. Here in Yolo County, they usually nest in May and young leave the nest about five to six weeks later. Young remain near the colony for about a week after leaving the nest and by mid-August the swallows begin to migrate south. They live for about eight years.
Swallows are enjoyable to watch and they eat a lot of insects. However, they are messy and their nests frequently contain mites and other bugs that can bite people. If you have swallows that are nesting in areas not welcomed, they are best managed by nest removal as soon as they begin to build a nest, or exclusion techniques.
In California, old nests or nests under construction may be washed down with water or knocked down with a pole. Swallows are strongly attracted to old nests or to the remnants of deteriorated nests, so all traces of mud should be removed. Swallows persistently rebuild nests so the whole process must be repeated.
There are no chemical toxicants registered for swallow control, and shooting, trapping or harming swallows is not permitted. All swallows are included under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and are protected by state and federal regulations. Completed nests during the breeding season from Feb. 15 to Sept. 1 cannot be touched without a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Outside of these dates, the nests can be removed without a permit.
Another way to keep swallows away is to exclude them from a nest site area before the birds arrive with 1/2 to 3/4 inch netting. If swallows have eggs or young in the nest, exclusion may not be used without a permit.
June 30th, 2006