What are Darwin’s Finches?

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