Galapagos Finches or Darwin’s Finches are the type of species which Charles Darwin collected from the past. In fact, all in all there are 14 species of Darwin’s finches, one in Coco’s islands (400 miles from the north Island of Galapagos) and 13 species in the Galapagos Islands.
Also, there some stories of evolution of Darwin’s finches that were reported to have taken place in Galapagos Islands. Finches have the same features with the vampire finches since they suck blood from the other birds and they have also the same capability of the woodpeckers since they are able to search for foods in the woods. About a million years ago, 30 flocks of birds migrated in the Galapagos Islands which formed the 13 species of Darwin’s finches.
Darwin’s finches have sizes from ten to twenty centimeters. The shapes and sizes of beaks of the these finches vary depending on what group of species they belong to. Every beak’s size and shape has evolved and modified according to the variety of food sources. Smaller beaked finches get smaller seeds while larger beaked finches can get bigger kernels and nuts for their food.
Not just the size of seeds, the finches have different characteristics in terms of sources of foods. Some of them eat leaves and insects while others prefer turtle ticks. Just as an example, vampire finches feed mostly on the seabirds blood. Also, they are one of the most popular birds for their capability to utilize “tools” made from cactus spine and twigs as they consume their food. For them to feed on the larvae and insects, the woodpecker finches make use of these twigs to catch them under the cacti and trees.
Ground finches have beaks that are adapted for crushing seeds. Vampire finches are a variation of birds that have beaks to suck blood from several insects and other birds. Also, another of Darwin’s finches are the tree finches. Most of the time, these finches differ from other finches since their beaks have sharp designs which are intended for their food consumption.
The different species of Darwin’s finches that inhabit in the Galapagos Islands are from the family of Geospiza which are mostly from South America. These type of finches are the most popular today because of its distinctive characteristic, it also has a unique story that relates the development of their specie which has been recognized by people all over the world.