Where Have all the Swallows Gone?

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was originally published March 20, 2011 and was one of our most widely read articles last year. So we are republishing it today. Enjoy! We'll have photos from this year's celebration at Mission San Juan Capistrano shortly.

March 19 has long been an important day for San Juan Capistrano. Apart from being , a day to honor of the husband to the Virgin Mary, it has traditionally been on or near this day that the enormous flocks of cliff swallows have returned to their nesting grounds at , where they remain for the spring and summer.

But over the years the flocks that return to the mission have diminished. Sadly, in recent years, didn't even show up. In This was… Mission Country, Merle and Mable Ramsey argue that the swallows' lackluster showing is a result of fewer orange groves and orange blossoms in the area, a source of the insects upon which they feed.

Indeed, many believe that increased urbanization in Orange County has led the birds to seek nesting grounds elsewhere. While attempts have been made to lure the birds back, the mission isn’t the lone, imposing structure it once was back when the swallows first began nesting there.

More Patch news about the swallows:

The story goes that in the early days of San Juan Capistrano, swallows used to nest at a local inn, until the innkeeper, fed up with their nuisances, destroyed the nests and shooed them away. The mission, being the tallest building by far at the time, became the swallows’ next logical target.

And so, for decade after decade, the swallows returned to the mission, making the remains of the their nesting grounds until about Oct. 23, Saint John’s Day, when they once again make their journey south to Argentina for the winter.

The swallows’ springtime arrival has always been a big affair. A week-long celebration, celebrates the birds’ return with lots of festivities. Early in the morning on the day of their predicted arrival, locals and visitors alike gather outside the mission, eyes locked to the skies in search of the vast flock's return once again. The ringing of the mission bells signals their arrival.

The birds themselves are particularly interesting creatures. Cliff swallows, as their name implies, traditionally build their nests under the overhangs of cliffs. In more modern times, however, they have moved on to man-made structures like the undersides of bridges or building overhangs.

Unlike most birds, the cliff swallows build their nests out of mud, making them into a unique cone-like structure with a narrow opening at the top. While the main clusters of swallows have tended to arrive on March 19, small groups of them have been seen days and even weeks ahead of time around the area. It is thought that these are scouts, sent ahead to survey the area.

Last year, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Capistrano swallows were found building nests at a posh country club in a new private community in Chino Hills. If that is the case, then it may mean the swallows have decided to move on from their longtime home at the mission, spelling the end of an important era for our town. Still though, one can look to the sky and hope.

Further Reading: Merle and Mable Ramsey’s This was… Mission Country: Reflections in Orange