Floreana Mockingbird: Facts and Where to See It

Darwin described this mockingbird first and then found three more species in Galápagos. His observations of the differences between them, all derived from a common ancestor, became part of his evidence for evolution by natural selection.

• Look. Almost identical to the Galápagos mockingbird, but with red-brown eyes and dark patches on the sides of the breast, a long graduated tail with pale tips and a longish curved bill.
• No mimicry. Unlike other mockingbirds, it does not imitate other birds.
• Bold gangs. Groups of 2 to 10 are territorial and so curious that, according to researchers camping on the islets, the birds find them first. Young birds help raise the next brood.

Cats and black rats are thought to be behind its loss from Floreana, together with the disappearance of the prickly pear cactus it used for nesting and food. On the two islets, numbers rise and fall sharply with extreme weather. A population study of the Champion birds gave them less than a 50 percent chance of surviving there another 100 years, and genetic diversity may already be dangerously low.

Guide sighting records list it at 1 site: Champion Islet off Floreana, rated Rare and seen from the panga only, as landing on the islet is not part of the visit. Visits there combine a panga ride along the shore with snorkelling.

Floreana mockingbirds live on their islets all year. In the next twelve months, 33 departures stop at Champion Islet.

The species has been listed as Endangered since 2017. El Niño and La Niña bring long dry spells that hit the adults, and avian pox and the invasive Philornis fly add to the losses. The Restoring Floreana programme aims to remove invasive species from the main island and eventually reintroduce the Floreana mockingbird there, supported by research into what the birds need to survive.

1. Expecting to walk among them. They are watched from the panga.
2. Confusing them with other mockingbirds. Only Champion and Gardner-by-Floreana have this species.
3. Counting on a sighting. The guide records rate the site Rare.