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by Cally Greenby Cally Green PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: Cover Arthur Morris/Birds As Art. 1 Arthur Morris/Birds As Art. 2–3 © James L. Amos/CORBIS. 5 Lew Robertson/jupiterimages. 6 Arthur Morris/Birds As Art. 7 Arthur Morris/Birds As Art. 8 BATES LITTLEHALES/National Geographic Image Collection. 9 © Wolfgang Kaehler/CORBIS. 10 © Spencer Grant/Photo Edit. Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the copyright owner unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. With the exception of nonprofit transcription into Braille, Houghton Mifflin is not authorized to grant permission for further uses of this work. Permission must be obtained from the individual copyright owner as identified herein. Address requests for permission to make copies of Houghton Mifflin material to School Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Company, 222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116. Printed in China ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02177-5 ISBN-10: 0-547-02177-1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 RRD 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08
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Hundreds of swallows migrate each year. It happens every spring. Thousands of small, graceful birds fill the sky, moving through the air with a purpose. They have all flown a long distance toward a place they know. They have important work to do. 2
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After a summer spent in the sheltered walls of an old church, they will leave to start another long trip. They will fly back to where they started in the spring. What are these small birds? Where are they going? These are swallows, on their way to or from their California home. 3
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Capistrano The little birds fly the same route every year to a famous church in Capistrano, California. They migrate from their winter home to this spot. They are following the same route their ancestors took. Swallows made this trip long before there was even a town in Capistrano. For many years no one noticed the birds. One man living there, Father Saint John O’Sullivan, did notice. In March 1910, he observed a large number of cliff swallows nesting under the archways and in hidden corners of the church. The next year and the year after that, they were there again.
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Capistrano was built in 1776. It was set in a landscape of empty fields and valleys. Father O’Sullivan soon realized that the swallows were arriving on the same day every year. Then they left again each October when it began to get chilly.
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Swallows Most swallows migrate long distances between their summer and winter homes. Like the cliff swallows, some travel thousands of miles. They fly by day and rest at night. They often nest in the same spot each year. Cliff swallows are about 4 to 9 inches (10 to 23 centimeters) long. They weigh about 1/2 to 2 ounces (10 to 0 grams). They have pointed wings and long tails. Swallows are built for flying! Swallows’ long, powerful wings help them fly fast and far.
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Swallows fly 2,000 feet above land on their trip. This height keeps them safe from their enemies. The Journey The winter home for the swallows is in Argentina. This is where they take off for their journey north. They leave Argentina at first daylight around February 18th. They usually arrive in California on March 19th. It is an incredible journey of ,500 miles. The trip takes 30 days. The birds use air currents to help them fly.
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Nest Building Once the birds arrive, they go to work building solid new nests. Some patch up old nests that are clinging to the buildings and stone walls. To build their new nests, the birds peck at the soil. Then they carry a bit of soil to a pond, where they make a paste of earth in their beaks. They bring back their load of mud plaster to patch up the walls of their nests. Swallows build nests that can last for years.
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The ruins were good places to build nests. Capistrano Mission is the perfect place for swallows to build their nests. It is located near two rivers, so there is plenty of water and mud, along with lots of insects for the swallows to eat. The roof of the mission chapel collapsed in 1812 during a thunderous earthquake. This frightening accident left arches and walls bare and open, making them perfect places for nests.
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Celebration Visitors come every year to celebrate the dramatic return of the swallows. But the survival of the swallows is at risk. More people are building homes. Land is disappearing. But people are working to keep the swallows safe. The village of Capistrano celebrates the arrival of the swallows every year. 10
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Responding TARGET VOCABULARY Word Builder Swallows migrate. Copy this chart and list other facts about swallows. Swallow Facts they migrate they fly ? Write About It Text to World Write two paragraphs that tell about another animal that migrates. Tell where the animal migrates, when it migrates, and why it migrates. Use words from the chart in your writing. 11
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TARGET VOCABULARY accidents migrate chilly plenty dramatic solid frightening survival landscape thunderous TARGET STRATEGY Visualize As you read, use selection details to picture what is happening. When there is more than enough, there is . 12
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Level: N DRA: 34 Science Strategy: Visualize Word Count: 606 3.5.22 Build Vocabulary HOUGHTON MIFFLIN Online Leveled Books ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02177-5 ISBN-10: 0-547-02177-1 1032074
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