Marty’s photo of the day #4967: Normally, I wouldn’t go out of my way to photograph finches, but on the Galapagos Islands, Darwin’s finches (more closely related to tanagers than true finches) are special because they helped Charles Darwin formulate his theory of evolution by natural selection.
There are 13 to 18 recognized species (depending on who’s counting) on the islands, with the key differences being the size and shape of their beaks, adapted for specific food sources. For instance, ground finches have stout beaks for seeds, warbler finches have thin beaks for insects, and vampire finches have sharp beaks useful for drinking blood.
There are 18 to 21 Galapagos Islands (again, depending on who’s counting), and not every finch lives on every island. The catamaran Deb and I were on sailed to 8 islands, giving us the chance to see 7 total finches. My goal as a photographer was to collect them all. Ultimately, we saw 5 out of the 7, though I’m still examining my photo files to confirm all 5.
Today’s photo is of the small ground finch.
(Photographed earlier this month in the Galapagos Islands.)