Jack's Birds of the Galapagos

Birds of the Galapagos

Jack Russell

The Galapagos Albatross, also known as the Waved Albatross, are the largest birds found within the Galapagos Islands. There are various different types of Albatrosses, all belonging to the Diomedeidae family, throughout the world, however the Waved Albatross is the only one who resides in a tropic location. Within the family, the Galapagos Albatross is only mid-sized comparatively. They weight around 7.5 lbs and have a wing span between 2-3 meters long.

            These birds primarily feed on fish, squid, and crustaceans. From the food, they produce a type of stomach oil that they store in the proventriculus. This oil is used as energy for long flights and also is used to feed their chicks.

            One of the most distinctive attributes of the Galapagos Albatross is their mating dance. The picture above was taken in during the mating dance. Through a series of clicks, snaps, and moans, the Albatross move their heads up and down then side to side in sync wit the sounds that they are making. The mating season is between April and June, and then they incubate the eggs for the next two months. Their nests are found is rocky areas with little vegetation and brush.

The Blue-Footed Booby is a tropical bird most know for their blue webbed feet and dwelling throughout the Galapagos Islands. The name Blue-Footed Booby was appointed due to their blue feet and their clumsiness on land. Booby, coming from the Spanish word, bobo, means “silly” or clown.” They used to be a fine source of food on the island because they were easy to capture and good to eat. The Blue-Footed Booby is one of ten species that make up the Sulidae family. These birds averagly weight a little over 3lbs and are 32in long. Their diets include of sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and flying fish. When hunting they work in groups and wait for the leader to nose dive into the water, at which point they all follow. This allows them to separate and surround their prey at the same time.

            The males impress the females by showing off their bright blue feet by stomping them on the ground and dance side to side. The male then spreads his wings and lets out his call. The Boobys are monogamous, in which they have a breeding ground in which they meet back up with their mate, or in some cases try to find a new one. This cycle repeats every 8-9 months. Both the male and the female care for the eggs, switching day by day. They care for 2-3 eggs at a time and are one of the few birds on Galapagos that rears more than one chick at a time.

The Frigatebird is one of the most aggressive birds in the sky. Deriving from the Fregatidae family, they are one of five within their species. Also known as Pirate Birds, Frigates have a reputation for stealing food from other birds mid-flight. Working in packs and using the hooks on the ends of their bills, they force birds to either drop the fish that they have caught, or induce vomiting which the Frigatebirds also feed from. Although Frigates are seabirds, they do not go into the water. This is because they do not have waterproof feathers. So if they were to drive into the water, they would not be able to take back off. Their only source of food is from stealing from other birds.

Frigatebirds have long cornered wings and a pointed double-prong tail. The male Frigatebird has a large red gular pouch that inflates in order to attract females. They only acquire one spouse and they nest colonially. Their nests are placed on the ground in light brush. They only lay one egg and both parents care for the egg and the chick. The frigatebirds don’t mate annually simply because it takes so long to finish rearing their young.

The Yellow-crowned Night Heron is a medium-large sized water-bird that is part of the Ardeidae family. The have a wingspan of 39in and are 23in long. These birds are found on multiple islands within the Galapagos, including: Fernandia Island, Isabela Island, Tower Island, and San Cristobal Island. The Yellow-Crowned Night heron is endemic to the Galapagos.

The Yellow-Crowned Night Heron is active during both the night and the day, and feeds on insects of crabs. They bread year round and nest close to the ground on roots and rocks. The adults have dark grey feathers while the along have more of a brownish tint.

The Galapagos Hawk is at the top of the food chain within the Galapagos Islands. It usually has dark brown feathers and is 55cm long, with a wingspan of 120cm. The Galapagos Hawk, endemic to the Galapagos, mainly feeds on insects along with lava lizards, snakes, and rodents. It also is known for stealing eggs from other birds. It uses it’s strong razor claws to dig into its prey, either killing the animal on impact or keeping the talons dug in and waiting for the animal lose all it’s energy. They tend to hunt in groups of two or three and soar between 50-200 meters high.

The Galapagos Hawks have no regular mating season, instead they mate often and sporadically. The male hawk begins by faking attacks against the female, causing the female to find a perching spot, and the male proceeds to follow.  The males are monogamous however the female’s have multiple mates. The nests are made on lava ledges or in low trees. The female switches with the males to watch over and incubate the egg.