Galapagos Islands' endemic bird species

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

ENDEMIC BIRD SPECIES

The Galápagos Islands are constituted by several volcanic islands off the West Coast of South America, distributed on either sides of the Equator in the Pacific Ocean. There are 18 main islands, some smaller ones and numerous rocks and islets.
The weather is regularly influenced by El Niño, involving warm temperatures at sea surface and lack of food for numerous species. The Humboldt Current along the coasts brings cold water and bad weather to these islands.

The Galapagos were proclaimed a National Park in 1959. The wildlife has arrived by flying, swimming and floating.
With few plants on these rocks, all species have adapted to survive, and are today endemic to these stark rocky islands.

Numerous endemic bird species were studied by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. The Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection was born!

Galapagos endemic bird species:

Common Cactus Finch – Geospiza scandens – Géospize des cactus

Flightless Cormorant - Phalacrocorax harrisi - Cormoran Aptère

Floreana Mockingbird - Mimus trifasciatus - Moqueur de Floreana

Galapagos Dove - Zenaida galapagoensis - Tourterelle des Galápagos

Galapagos Flycatcher - Myiarchus magnirostris - Tyran des Galápagos

Galapagos Hawk – Buteo galapagoensis - Buse des Galápagos

Galapagos Mockingbird - Mimus parvulus - Moqueur des Galápagos

Galapagos Penguin - Spheniscus mendiculus - Manchot des Galápagos

Galapagos Petrel - Pterodroma phaeopygia - Pétrel des Galápagos (endemic breeder)

Galapagos Rail - Laterallus spilonotus - Râle des Galápagos

Genovesa Cactus-Finch - Geospiza propinqua - Géospize voisin