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Darwin's Finches

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Darwin's Finches, Galapagos
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Overview

Famous within Darwin's observations described in his book "On the Origin of Species," the Darwin's finches are 15 different species each with unique physical traits. These species are unique for the size and shape of beaks that differ from island to island, and the fact that the physical traits can rapidly change from generation to generation based on the climate and nutrition available.

Fun Fact

One species, the Vampire Ground-Finch is known for its habit of drinking blood, which it extracts from booby species by by pecking until the skin is broken. * A long term study has been carried out for more than 40 years by the Princeton University researchers Peter and Rosemary Grant documenting evolutionary changes in beak size affected by El Niño/La Niña cycles in the Pacific