What is Swallows Depart From San Juan Capistrano Day?
The Swallows Departure from San Juan Capistrano Day on October 23rd marks the migration of thousands of swallows.
#swallowsdepartfromsanjuancapistranoday
San Juan Capistrano's famous cliff swallows are seen every year in a tumultuous mass near the Day of San Juan (October 23). They're heading south for their winter vacation spot in Goya, Corrientes, Argentina, 6,000 miles south. They return on or about March 19th – St. Joseph Day – each year. For generations, their migration has been documented.
Cliff swallows are cousins of barn swallows and purple martins, and they are cousins of barn swallows and purple martins.
Swallows have long, narrow wings, forked tails, and stifled feet. They feed on the wing, catching insects in their wide mouths, and can make rapid changes in direction or speed as they feed; they are incredibly graceful in flight; they can easily make abrupt shifts in direction or speed as they feed.
