The Tales of the Swallows

Do you ever wonder why the swallows migrated from the south to the north to the old Mission of San Juan Capistrano and how it all happened? This is the tale about the lost orphan hatchling who was alone, and there was no one to watch over him. Later, he was rescued by the human priest named Reverend Rafeal. Reverend Rafeal found him, and he took him to the mission of San Juan Capistrano. He raised him, fed him, and took him to the chapel. He named the hatchling Jaime.

Some months later, Jaime was grown up. He was wondering what kind of bird he was and where his kind was. His best friend, Pablo the rooster, helped him to find his kind. Pablo took him to see El Muerto, the wise rattlesnake. El Muerto explained to Jaime that he must find his kind beyond the hills. Jaime flew to the hills, and he found his king. He discovered that he is the swallow! When the swallows were leaving to the south for the winter, Jaime went with them to learn their survival instincts. Later in spring, Jaime led the swallows to the north to his favorite place in the world—the old Mission of San Juan Capistrano.

This story is about history of Hispanic culture, music, religion, and the science for the swallows, which are the most abundant and widely distributed bird species in the world. When you visit the San Juan Capistrano mission, you will learn the experience and the wonders of the swallows, the pioneer birds from the south to the north.