Where Do Swallows Go in the Winter?

"When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano" is the title of a popular old song. These small birds are well known for their winter and summer homes — in South America and in California.

When it's winter in California, these birds live in South America, where winter is the warm season. When summer arrives in South America, the weather grows colder, so the swallows fly north and spend their summer in California.

Amazingly, their return to California, to the town called San Juan Capistrano, occurs on the exact same date every year — March 19. And it's also amazing how on-time they are, considering how far they have to fly to reach California — a 6000-mile trip made twice a year!

Since California was settled, the swallows have returned to San Juan Capistrano on March 19 every year except for 1935, when they were delayed by storms.