Category Archives: Birds

The Darwin’s Finches Of The Galapagos

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Darwin’s finches (also known as the Galápagos finches) are a group of about fourteen [1] species of passerine birds. They are often classified as the subfamily Geospizinae or tribe Geospizini. They belong to the tanager family and are not closely related to the true finches.  You can see them on most of the islands in the Galapagos.  This video does a great job of explaining where all these finches came from.

I saw several species of Darwin’s finch on San Cristobal but I am having trouble sorting them all out!  I am pretty sure I have a Cactus Finch, Tree Finches, Ground Finches and a Vegetarian Finch but I can’t differentiate between the “small” and “large” varieties!

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Nazca Booby (Sula granti)

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The Nazca Booby (Sula granti) was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Masked Booby but is now recognized as a separate species. Nazca Boobies are known for practicing obligate siblicide.  Mothers lay two eggs, several days apart. If both eggs hatch, the elder chick pushes its sibling out of the nest area, leaving it to die of thirst or cold. The parent booby cannot intervene and the younger chick inevitably dies. Two eggs are laid so that if one gets destroyed or eaten, or the first chick dies soon after hatching, the second egg will produce an offspring.

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Nazca Boobies have a smaller range than Blue-footed Boobies but the Galapagos is the best place to look for them, especially Punta Pitt where you can see all 3 of the Galapagos boobies.

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This video has a sad element to it in regards to the siblicide.  I usually try to avoid such videos but just about every video online has it and this one is produced by Nat Geo and is the best quality.

 

 

Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii)

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The Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) is a marine bird in the family Sulidae, which includes ten species of long-winged seabirds. Blue-footed boobies belong to the genus Sula, which comprises six species of boobies. It is easily recognizable by its distinctive bright blue feet, which is a sexually selected trait. Males display their feet in an elaborate mating ritual by lifting their feet up and down while strutting before the female.

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Although they have a large range along the Pacific coast from Mexico to Peru, Blue-footed Boobies are almost synonymous with the Galapagos.  It’s a rare tourist, birder or not who doesn’t come home with at least one hat, artwork or “I love Boobies” t-shirt!

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VIDEOS

There’s no shortage of Blue-footed Booby videos but I like these mini-docos that show the mating dance.

LOL, I never thought I would feel sorry for an iguana!

 

 

Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)

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The Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. With a length of 89–114 centimetres (35–45 in) it is the largest species of frigatebird.  They are an iconic bird of the Galapagos and you can’t miss them with their bright red pouch that kind of resembles a heart.  They puff them out to attract females.  Who wouldn’t want a mate with a “big heart”?

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Magnificent Frigatebirds have quite a large range along the coastlines of the Americas including the Galapagos and Caribbean Islands.  They are especially a highlight of the Galapagos Islands, featured on both cruises and land-based tours.

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Learn how they use their red throat pouch to attract a mate.

Nice footage filmed in the Galapagos

 

Long-wattled Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger)

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The Long-wattled Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger) is a passerine bird belonging to the family Cotingidae, endemic to the western slopes of Chocó in Colombia and Ecuador. The male is about 51 cm (20 in) long and is a black bird with a large casque-shaped crest on the head and a long, feather-covered wattle on the breast. The loud call is only heard in the breeding season. The female is considerably smaller, with a smaller crest and wattle.

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They have a limited range in Ecuador and Colombia.  Probably the easiest place to see them is the Umbrellabird Lodge at Jocotoco’s Buenaventura Reserve which has a lek a short walk from the lodge.

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This could be the same bird we saw only he’s a lot more active, dancing around and fluffing up his wattle.  It was filmed in February and we were there in April.

Another clip which could be the same bird or a different one.  He’s sexy and he knows it!

 

 

Blue-necked Tanager (Tangara cyanicollis)

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The Blue-necked Tanager (Tangara cyanicollis) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.  I’m not sure how it gets its name as the whole head is blue, not just the neck but they sure are beauties!

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They have a pretty large range that encompasses a lot of prime reserves in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Brazil so I am not going to say that Podocarpus (where I saw them) is the BEST place, but it’s a good option!

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This is a fantastic mini-doco of a Blue-necked Tanager family raising chicks.  There is one sad event but nothing graphic is shown and there is a happy ending!

 

Green Jay aka Inca Jay (Cyanocorax yncas)

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The Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas) is a bird species of the New World jays, and is found in both North and South America.  The taxonomy is a bit confusing.  They are usually lumped with Inca Jay (C. yncas yncas) of South America. Adding to the confusion in classification, the Green Jay is then used as the species name, even though the Inca Jay is the nominate subspecies.

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They have a large range extending from the southern tip of Texas down to Bolivia.  Depending on which source you read, the Inca Jay subspecies is the South American range.  I saw them in southern Ecuador in the Podocarpus National Park near Zamora and further north at Wildsumaco and Cabanas San Isidro.

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An Inca Jay with something to say.

And here’s a Green Jay with a song of his own!

 

The Hummingbird Effect

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Whenever we visit the Americas, hummingbirds are always a highlight.  They dazzle us with their beauty and brilliance and I could spend hours sitting on lodge verandahs watching them dart to and fro.  A world without hummingbirds would be sad indeed.  The American Bird Conservancy is trying to save their habitat so any help you can give would be appreciated.  And remember that hummingbirds share their habitat with many other birds and mammals so save one, you save them all!

For now, enjoy this compilation clip of some of the most beautiful hummingbirds in the world.

 

White-tailed Jay (Cyanocorax mystacalis)

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The White-tailed Jay (Cyanocorax mystacalis) is a very attractive species of bird in the family Corvidae.

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They have a fair-sized range in Ecuador and northern Peru.  The easiest place to see them is Cerro Blanco since it is only a 20 minute drive from Guayaquil.

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A quick smooch and they’re off!

There’s a few clips at IBC but they don’t embed here.