| Medium Ground Finch | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| 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 the Galapagos Islands. 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.
In 1977 a severe drought reduced the supply of seeds in the Galapagos. The finch which normally preferred small and soft seeds, was forced to turn to harder larger seeds. Subsequently, there has been a 10% change in the size of beaks for these finches in a couple of generations.