Genovesa Cactus-Finch
Geospiza propinqua
This Galápagos finch is confined to the island of Genovesa. It has a fairly large bill that appears slightly elongated. The only other finch on Genovesa with a similarly-sized bill is Large Ground-Finch. Compared to that species, Genovesa Cactus-Finch has a smaller, less rounded bill that is noticeably longer than it is deep. Bill is pure black on breeding male, and marked with yellow or orange on female and non-breeding male. Male’s plumage is sooty-black; female is brown with paler underparts that are blotched with gray. Common in arid areas near the coast, and often seen feeding on prickly pear flowers.
Identification
This Galápagos finch is confined to the island of Genovesa. It has a fairly large bill that appears slightly elongated. The only other finch on Genovesa with a similarly-sized bill is Large Ground-Finch. Compared to that species, Genovesa Cactus-Finch has a smaller, less rounded bill that is noticeably longer than it is deep. Bill is pure black on breeding male, and marked with yellow or orange on female and non-breeding male. Male’s plumage is sooty-black; female is brown with paler underparts that are blotched with gray. Common in arid areas near the coast, and often seen feeding on prickly pear flowers.
Taxonomy
The large cactus finch is one of Darwin's finches, a group of closely related birds which evolved on the Galápagos Islands. The group is related to the Tiaris grassquits, which are found in South America and the Caribbean. An ancestral relative of those grassquits arrived on the Galápagos Islands some 2–3 million years ago, and the Española cactus finch is one of the species which evolved from that ancestor.<p>Some taxonomic authorities, including the International Ornithologists' Union, have split the species from the Española cactus finch. Others still consider them conspecific.
- Scientific name
- Geospiza propinqua
- Authority
- Ridgway, 1894
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Geospiza
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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