Medium Ground-finch

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Medium Ground-finch
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Emberizidae Genus: Geospiza Species: G. fortis
Binomial name
Geospiza fortis Gould, 1837

The Medium Ground-finch (Geospiza fortis) is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. One of Darwin's finches, the species was the first which scientists have observed evolving in real-time due to competition from another species.^[1] Specifically, the beak of the medium ground-finch reduced in size over two decades in order to eat smaller seeds, as larger species which were introduced to their habitat were eating the larger ones, leaving the finch with an inadequate food supply.

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] References

• BirdLife International 2004. Geospiza fortis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 25 July 2007.