3 5 22 flight of the swallows (science)

Hundreds of swallows migrate each year... These are swallows, on their way to or from their California home... Swallows made this trip long before there was even a town in Capistrano.. I

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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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

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

Hundreds of swallows migrate each year.

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

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

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

Capistrano was built in 1776 It was set in a

landscape of empty fields and valleys.

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.

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

Swallows fly 2,000 feet above land on their trip This height keeps them safe from their enemies.

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.

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

The ruins were good places to build nests.

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.

Swallows migrate Copy this chart and list

other facts about swallows.

Swallow Facts they migrate they fly

?

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.

Write About It

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

When there is more than enough, there

accidents

chilly

dramatic

frightening

landscape

migrate plenty solid survival thunderous

TARGET VOCABULARY

ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02177-5 ISBN-10: 0-547-02177-1

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Online Leveled Books

Level: N

DRA: 34

Science

Strategy:

Visualize

Word Count: 606

3.5.22 Build Vocabulary