Birds of Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Birds

Located some 1000 km from the coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands are a fascinating group of tiny islands to explore. Pristine and remote, these islands are perfect for nature lovers who get to see some of the most rare and endangered wildlife species on the planet, roam free and unafraid amidst the rugged volcanic landscape here. The wildlife in the Galapagos is indeed unique as most of the animals here wander without fear even around human visitors because of the lack of natural predators.

Birds are the most common residents of the Galapagos, with over 58 species of birds found here. While 28 of the Galapagos’ birds are endemic, the other 30 are migratory species that visit the islands at different times during the year. If you are an avid bird enthusiast, or enjoy bird watching then the Galapagos Islands is a great place to come and see birds fly uninhibited in their natural habitat. If you are a keen observer, you can note up 40 bird species as you tour the Galapagos.

Galapagos Birds – Sea

A wide variety of sea birds can be found in the Galapagos Islands, the most magnificent of which is the Waved Albatross. The largest bird in the archipelago, the waved albatross has a wingspan of 2.4 meters. A joy to watch while it is flying, the courtship of this bird is also something special.

The Flightless Cormorant is endemic to the Galapagos Islands and is the only flightless seabird in the world. Found on Islas Isabel and Fernandina, these birds have small wings and strong powerful legs.

Boobies are the most common birds in the Galapagos though they are not endemic to these islands. The blue footed booby, the red footed booby and the masked booby can all be seen on Isla San Cristobel.

The Magnificent Frigatebird and the Great Frigatebird are a treat to watch with their incredible acrobatic flying. With their huge wingspan, both these birds can be easily spotted by their red skin that hangs under their necks.

The Galapagos penguins are the only equatorial penguins in the world. As you dive and snorkel near Islas Fernandina and Isabel, you can spot them gracefully swimming buy. Some other popular sea birds in the Galapagos are the red-billed tropicbird, the swallow-tailed gull, the lava gull, the brown pelican, Audubon’s shearwater and storm petrels.

Galapagos Birds – Wetlands

The Great Blue Heron is the largest heron in the Galapagos. You can spot this huge bird on almost all of the Galapagos Islands. The lava heron is the only endemic bird of this species in the Galapagos and can usually be spotted hunting along the lava shorelines. Flamingoes, American oystercatchers, stilts and sandpipers are some of the other common wetland birds found here.

Galapagos Birds – Land

The most famous land birds in the Galapagos have to be Darwin’s finches. With 13 species, these finches are credited to have helped Darwin formulate his theory of evolution. The Galapagos hawk is another endemic land bird. Extremely fearless, unfortunately this hawk is now an endangered species, with just a few hundred remaining in the wild.

The Galapagos Flycatcher, the barn owl, the Galapagos mockingbirds and the dark-billed cuckoo are some other well known land birds in the Galapagos.