What are Darwin’s Finches?

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About Darwin’s Finches:

Darwin’s finches, named after Charles Darwin, are small land birds.
They comprise a group of 15 species endemic to the Galápagos (14 species) and Cocos (1 species) Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The group is monophyletic and originated from a common ancestral species that reached the Galápagos Archipelago from Central or South America.
- Descendants of this ancestor on the Archipelago then colonized Cocos Island.
Darwin’s finches are all very similar in shape, size, and colour, but there are a few differences which can help when identifying them. These include diet, habitat, and beak size and shape.
They’re known for their remarkably diverse beak form and function, evolved to suit the different food types available across the islands.
From seeds and fruits to invertebrates and even blood, their widely varied beak shapes and sizes have allowed each species to occupy different niches of the islands.
Darwin’s finches are the classic example of adaptive radiation, the evolution of groups of plants or animals into different species adapted to specific ecological niches.

Q1: What is the ecological niche?

In ecology, the term “niche” describes the role an organism plays in a community. A species’ niche encompasses both the physical and environmental conditions it requires (like temperature or terrain) and the interactions it has with other species (like predation or competition).

Source: Playing songs to Darwin’s finches helps confirm link between environmental change and emergence of new species