Mangrove Finch
| Mangrove Finch | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Thraupidae |
| Genus: | Camarhynchus |
| Species: | C. heliobates |
| Binomial name | |
| Camarhynchus heliobates (Snodgrass & Heller, 1901) | |
The Mangrove Finch (Camarhynchus heliobates) is a species of bird in the Darwin's finch group of the tanager family Thraupidae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands. It was found on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela, but recent surveys have failed to record the species on Fernandina. It has been classified as critically endangered by BirdLife International, with an estimated population of between 60 and 140 located in two large mangroves on Isabela.[2] A study has shown that the two small populations remaining on Isabela Island have begun undergoing speciation and that one or both populations will eventually become extinct due to a lack of interbreeding.[3]
Habitat
As its name suggests, the Mangrove Finch lives in the mangroves of the Galápagos Islands. The mangrove finch feeds upon the various insects, larvae, spiders, and vegetable matter found in the mangroves. It closely resembles the far commoner Woodpecker Finch, but is not known to utilize tools.
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2013). "Camarhynchus heliobates". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ↑ "Species factsheet: Mangrove Finch". BirdLife International. 2007.
- ↑ "Darwin's rarest finch meets an 'evolutionary dead end'". Ars Technica. 27 June 2010.