The Galápagos Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, is considered one of the world’s top wildlife destinations, and a bird watcher’s paradise, home to a diverse range of avian species which have evolved in isolation over millions of years.
With 189 species recorded, including 31 that are endemic, many of these birds show little fear of humans, offering the opportunity to observe them up close. Among the most famous are Darwin’s finches, a group of around 18 songbird species that played a pivotal role in inspiring Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection.
Unfortunately, many of the Galápagos’ birds are facing significant threats. Habitat loss, climate change, and the introduction of non-native predators have led to declining populations in recent years, putting these remarkable species at risk.
The Galápagos hawk is a large bird of prey endemic to the Galápagos Islands. It has sooty-brown plumage with paler brown edges to its back feathers and rufous edges on the feathers on its flanks and lower belly. Its tail is silvery grey with dark bars, and it has brown eyes, a dark grey bill, and yellow legs and feet. Males and females are similar in appearance, though females are slightly larger.
The Galápagos hawk primarily feeds on insects like locusts and giant centipedes, but it will also prey on snakes, both native and introduced rodents, young birds, and turtle and tortoise hatchlings. Occasionally, it will take the young of Galápagos sea lions, feral pigs, and goats.
With only around 150 breeding pairs remaining, the Galápagos hawk’s population has been severely impacted by habitat destruction, the introduction of predators, and human persecution.
The pied-billed grebe is the only grebe species recorded to have visited the Galápagos Islands. It is a small, stocky bird with a short neck, thick bill, and almost no tail. Its upperparts are dark brown, while its underparts are tawny brown. The crown and nape are dark, and the throat is black. During breeding season, the bill is pale grey with a black band, while for the rest of the year, it is yellow-brown.
Pied-billed grebes primarily feed on aquatic invertebrates, small fish, crustaceans, and amphibians, diving to catch their prey. Like other grebes, they have been known to eat their own feathers to aid digestion.
In North America, pied-billed grebes are threatened due to habitat loss. In the Galápagos, they can be found in the marshes, mangroves, and lagoons of the islands.
The Galápagos penguin is one of the smallest penguin species in the world and the only one found north of the equator. Endemic to the Galápagos Islands, it stands about 50 cm tall, with females typically smaller than males. It has dark blackish-brown upperparts, white underparts, and a distinctive black band of feathers across its chest. The head is black with a white border running through the eye.
The penguin’s diet mainly consists of cold-water schooling fish such as anchovies, pilchards, sardines, and mullet, as well as crustaceans. By preying on these species, it helps regulate marine populations. Sharks and whales are among its natural predators.
As with many endemic species in the Galápagos, the Galápagos penguin is vulnerable due to its limited range. Threats include climate change, the El Niño phenomenon, urbanisation and its negative impact on the marine ecosystems, and disease.
The blue-footed booby is one of the most iconic birds of the Galápagos, known for its comical appearance and distinctive courtship dance. It has brown upperparts, a white rump, and black tail, with pure white underparts. Its neck and head are light brown with white streaks, and its bright yellow eyes on either sides of its head allow excellent binocular vision. The most striking feature is its blue feet, with females typically preferring males with brighter blue feet, a sign of better condition. Females are generally larger than males and have darker blue feet than both males and younger birds.
A specialised fish-eater, the blue-footed booby mostly feeds on small schooling fish such as sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and flying fish. It will also eat squid and offal. The bird hunts by diving into the ocean from great heights and can also swim underwater to catch its prey. It may hunt alone, in pairs, or in flocks.
The population of blue-footed boobies is in decline, likely due to difficulties in breeding, possibly caused by a reduction in sardines, one of its main food sources. No evidence has been found to suggest other factors, such as human disturbance, introduced predators, or disease, are contributing to the decline.
The waved albatross, also known as the Galápagos albatross, is one of only three species of albatross found in the tropics. It is the largest bird on the Galápagos Islands, with a wingspan that can reach up to 2.5 meters. It has mostly chestnut brown plumage with a white breast and underwings, a white head with a pale yellow crown and neck, a long, dull yellow bill, and bluish feet. Its name comes from the distinctive wave-like pattern on the wings of adults.
The waved albatross primarily feeds on fish, squid, and crustaceans, as well as smaller birds. It has also been observed scavenging for food, including the regurgitated food of other birds. Like other albatross species, it is an exceptional glider, using a flight technique called dynamic soaring, and spends most of its life soaring above the open ocean.
The greatest threats to the waved albatross include longline fishing, illegal fishing, and human disturbance. Although there are approximately 35,000 individuals, their numbers are declining, and the species is classified as critically endangered due to its limited range.
The Hood mockingbird, also known as the Española mockingbird, is endemic to Española Island in the Galápagos Islands.
Its upperparts have blackish-brown feathers with grey-brown edges, giving it a mottled appearance, while the rump feathers have browner edges, and the tail is dark brown. The upperwings have white-tipped wing coverts and black flight feathers with tawny edges and white tips. Its underparts are white, marked with brown streaks on the breast and flanks.
The head has pale grey facial feathers, black lores and ear patches, a greyish-brown crown streaked with dark lines, a thin white supercilium, and an indistinct malar stripe. It has a long, curved black bill, yellowish-brown eyes, and black legs and feet. Males and females look similar, though females are slightly smaller.
The Hood mockingbird is an omnivore with a diverse diet that includes insects, fruit, berries, marine arthropods, small vertebrates, seabird eggs, and carrion. Like the vampire finch, it is known to drink the blood of injured boobies, sea lions, and iguanas.
True to the nature of many Galápagos species, the Hood mockingbird has little fear of humans and is notorious for chasing tourists in search of food and water. It is the only species of Galápagos mockingbird that Charles Darwin did not see or collect on the voyage of HMS Beagle.
The medium ground finch is one of the most common Galápagos finches, found on 10 of the main islands. Like other members of its genus, it is sexually dimorphic. Males have sooty-black plumage with white-tipped undertail coverts, while females are brown with paler, grey-streaked underparts. Both sexes have a deep, robust bill with a slightly rounded upper edge. During the breeding season, males develop a black bill, whereas females and non-breeding males have a dull orange bill.
They primarily feed on seeds, but their diet also includes flowers, buds, and young leaves. In urban areas, they have developed a preference for human food such as crisps, biscuits, and cooked rice, favouring these over their natural diet. This dietary shift is already influencing evolutionary changes, affecting the size and shape of their beaks, body mass, gut microbiota, and immune system.
Classified as a species of least concern, the medium ground finch still faces threats, particularly from the invasive fly Philornis downsi. This parasite lays its eggs in the nests of finches, including inside the nostrils of nestlings. When the larvae hatch, they feed on the blood and living tissue of the chicks, sometimes even damaging the developing bill. They also parasitise adult finches. While there is currently no immediate risk of extinction, increased tourism and the potential introduction of additional parasites could pose serious threats to the species in the future.
The brown pelican is a large, stocky seabird with a long neck and a huge bill. The Galápagos subspecies, P. o. urinator, takes its name from the Latin for “one who plunges underwater”, reflecting its foraging behaviour. In breeding plumage, it has grey-brown feathers, a dark maroon neck, and a white head tinged with yellow on the crown. Its pale blue or brown eyes are surrounded by pink skin, and its bill is pinkish-red or orange, darkening towards the tip. Outside of the breeding season, the neck turns white, the skin around the eyes fades, and the bill becomes ashy grey.
The brown pelican primarily feeds on fish such as menhaden, anchovies, mullets, and sardines. Unlike most pelicans, it is one of only two species, along with the Peruvian pelican, that hunts by plunge-diving. In addition to fish, its diet includes crustaceans, amphibians, and the eggs and nestlings of egrets, guillemots, and even its own species. It captures prey using its large throat pouch, scooping up both fish and water before draining the excess and swallowing its catch.
During the mid-20th century, brown pelican populations declined sharply due to pesticide use, particularly DDT, which caused thinning of eggshells and reproductive failure. However, after the ban on DDT, their numbers rebounded, and the species is now classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Despite this, the Galápagos subspecies remains vulnerable, as its small population and limited range make it particularly susceptible to environmental changes and human impact.
The Galápagos dove is an endemic species found throughout the Galápagos Islands. Fairly common, it thrives in a variety of open and semi-open habitats. It has reddish-brown upperparts, a buff-coloured belly, and a pinkish breast. The scapulars and upper wings are brown with black and white streaks, while the underwings are bluish-grey. Its brown tail has grey edges, and its reddish-brown head has an iridescent patch on the side of the neck. The dove’s dark eyes are surrounded by a distinctive patch of blue skin with a black border. Its long, slightly downward-curving bill is black, and its legs and feet are reddish-purple. Females resemble males but are slightly smaller, with darker upperparts, wings, and tail.
Galápagos doves primarily forage on the ground, feeding on seeds, fruit, caterpillars, and the flowers and pulp of cacti. On islands where bees are absent, Opuntia cacti have evolved softer spines, giving the doves better access to flowers, allowing them to act as pollinators.
As an island-endemic species, Galápagos doves are highly vulnerable to introduced diseases and predators. Trichomonas gallinae, likely introduced by rock doves, poses a significant threat, along with avian malaria, which has been found in more than 85% of birds on Española Island. They are also at risk from feral cats, which prey on both adults and nestlings.
The Nazca booby is a large seabird that was once considered a subspecies of the masked booby but has been recognised as a separate species since 2002. It has predominantly white plumage with black wingtips, a black tail, and a characteristic black facial mask. Its eyes are yellow, the long, pointed bill is orange-yellow, and the legs and feet are grey. Females are larger than males and have a distinct call; females squawk, while males whistle.
Nazca boobies primarily feed on small fish, which they catch by plunge-diving into the ocean from high-speed flight. Their diet mainly consists of pilchards, but they also consume flying fish, anchovies, and squid. The vampire ground finch has been observed feeding on their blood.
The Nazca booby is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. While populations have declined slightly, the decrease is not significant enough to place them in a threatened category. Factors contributing to population declines include overfishing and marine pollution, which impact their food supply and breeding success.
