3 5 22 flight of the swallows (science)

H O UG H T O N MIF F L IN


by 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.
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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


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

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


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.

4


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.
5


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 60 grams).
They have pointed wings and long tails.
Swallows are built for flying!
Swallows’ long,
powerful wings
help them fly fast
and far.

6


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 7,500 miles.
The trip takes 30 days. The birds use air
currents to help them fly.
7


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.

8


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.
9


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


Responding
Word Builder
Swallows migrate. Copy this chart and list
other facts about swallows.
TARGET VOCABULARY

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


TARGET VOCABULARY

accidents
chilly
dramatic
frightening
landscape

migrate
plenty
solid
survival
thunderous

Visualize As you read, use
selection details to picture what is happening.
TARGET STRATEGY

When there is more than enough, there
is

12

.


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

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