Mission Tries Mating Songs to Lure Swallows Back

For decades, hundreds of migrating cliff swallows have nested each spring at the Mission San Juan Capistrano, one of 21 historic Spanish missions that trace the California coastline.

Published

about 1 year ago

Categories

Science, Wildlife

Topics

Wildlife

People

Suzi Patton

Places

California, San Juan, San Juan Capistrano

Tags

bird

Transcript

Script[Location: San Juan Capistrano, CA - April 24, 2012][Source: AP](Nat sound of swallow call)Those aren't real birds you're hearing but something of a desperation call from California's historic Mission San Juan Capistrano.It had been a rite of spring for more than 200 years, swallows flocking here to build nests and raise their young.But recently they've all but vanished.[SOT/MECHELLE LAWRENCE-ADAMS, Executive Director of Mission San Juan Capistrano] "Over the years with the preservation projects and the need to remove the nests in order to stabilize some of the ruins, we've lost some of the swallows, they've gotten sidetracked."Now bird watchers strain to spot the few that have returned and the nests appear empty.[SOT/SUZI PATTON, tourist] "Before, you could see the swallows everywhere and you just don't see them like you used to. I think it's sad. What's Capistrano without the swallows?"That's where these speakers come in.Officials have been playing sparrow mating sounds, hoping the birds will answer this call of the wild.It's too soon to know for sure, but the recordings may be working. That's good news for the Mission, which relies on the birds almost as much as they once relied upon it.[SOT/MECHELLE LAWRENCE-ADAMS, Executive Director of Mission San Juan Capistrano] "They're ambassadors. If people only know to come to the Mission because they hear about the birds first, and they arrive here and they have a sense of inspiration or they become better educated about California history … then the birds have done us a service. We need to do a service for them." Meaning that in a few years this 236-year-old Mission may once again be for the birds. _______ The Associated Press< (****END****)