A legend of swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano was passed down through generations of the early Indians who once inhabited this region. The earliest documented record of the swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano was made by Father Fermin Fuster on March 19, 1777. The swallows arrive at the mission of San Juan Capistrano each year on March 19 and depart for Goya, Argentina, on October 23. San Juan Capistrano is a designated bird sanctuary.
