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surprising that one of the most coveted spots in the world for birdwatchers
offers such a small list of species: 60 resident birds, of which few are
spectacular in terms of form or colour, certainly not comparable to the
tropical avian wonders found on mainland Ecuador. From these, only 22 are truly
endemic. And yet, birders flock to the Galápagos, not to amass a long list, but
to see these birds that are unique, not found anywhere else in the world, and often
so tame that they can be photographed without a zoom.
Hood Mockingbird
While in the
Galápagos, the visitor is almost permanently surrounded by seabirds. In certain
islands, such as Genovesa, I had to be careful not to step on them. Great
and Magnificent Frigatebirds are a constant sight flying overhead like
ominous Batman logos, as are the three species of Booby, Common Noddy,
Red-billed Tropicbird and Brown Pelican. Out at sea, the boat is
often followed by large numbers of Elliot's Storm Petrel, whereas the
endemic Galápagos Storm Petrel is very numerous around its breeding
grounds in Genovesa, where it's preyed upon by the endemic subspecies of Short-eared
Owl.Short-eared Owl.
 Red-billed Tropicbird
 Brown Pelican
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| Galápagos Penguin |
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| Galápagos Mockingbird |
Mangrove Warbler, |
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Magnificent Frigatebird, male |
Great Frigatebird, female |
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Short-eared Owl, Genovesa |
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Wilson’s Phalarope |
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Red-necked Phalarope |
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Blue-footed Booby, Española |
The widespread American Oystercatcher |
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The largest of
the three, Nazca Booby (Sula granti) has a less elaborate nuptial
display, but very engaging nonetheless. We saw large numbers in Genovesa, where
the laying season is between August and November. Of all the tame seabirds
found throughout the islands, Nazca Boobies are probably the most
fearless; I almost tripped over them on several occasions. An open ocean
fisher, apart from the islands where it breeds it's frequently seen out at sea.
 Red-footed Booby, Genovesa
Red-footed
Booby (Sula sula websteri) is the smallest and most graceful, and also the most arboreal of
the three, perching, nesting, and even displaying on trees and bushes. It is
mostly nocturnal and thus rarely seen flying at sea. The place where visitors
are most likely to see this bird is Genovesa. At the time of my visit, several
adults and chicks were present on the island, but not in the numbers of their
more terrestrial Nazca cousins.
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| Brown Pelican |
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