The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Eastern Pacific, located around the equator, 900 km (560 mi) west of the mainland of South America. They form the Galápagos Province of the Republic of Ecuador, with a population of slightly over 33,000 (2020). The province is divided into the cantons of San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, and Isabela, the three most populated islands in the chain. The Galápagos are famous for their large number of endemic species, which were studied by Charles Darwin in the 1830s and inspired his theory of evolution by means of natural selection. All of these islands are protected as part of Ecuador's Galápagos National Park and Marine Reserve.
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescope, by listening for bird sounds, watching public webcams, or by viewing smart bird feeder cameras.
The belted kingfisher is a large, conspicuous water kingfisher, native to North America. All kingfishers are placed in one family, Alcedinidae, and recent research suggests that this should be divided into three subfamilies.
Darwin's finches are a group of about 18 species of passerine birds. They are well known for being a classic example of adaptive radiation and for their remarkable diversity in beak form and function. They are often classified as the subfamily Geospizinae or tribe Geospizini. They belong to the tanager family and are not closely related to the true finches. The closest known relative of the Galápagos finches is the South American dull-coloured grassquit. They were first collected when the second voyage of the Beagle visited the Galápagos Islands, with Charles Darwin on board as a gentleman naturalist. Apart from the Cocos finch, which is from Cocos Island, the others are found only on the Galápagos Islands.
Galápagos is a province of Ecuador in the country's Insular region, located approximately 1,000 km (620 mi) off the western coast of the mainland. The capital is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.
The waved albatross, also known as Galapagos albatross, is one of three species of the family Diomedeidae that occur in the tropics. When they forage, they follow a straight path to a single site off the coast of Peru, about 1,000 km (620 mi) to the east. During the non-breeding season, these birds reside primarily on the Ecuadorian and Peruvian coasts.
Forktail is the annual peer-reviewed journal of the Oriental Bird Club. It is the principal ornithological journal dedicated to the Oriental region and publishes manuscripts in English, treating any aspect of its ornithology. Forktail's geographic scope is bounded by the Indus River to the west; the Russian Far East, Korean Peninsula, Japan, and Lydekker's Line to the east, and the Chagos Archipelago, Lesser Sundas, Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands to the south. As of 2020, Frank E. Rheindt is its Managing Editor, assisted by Yong Ding Li.
Floreana Island is a southern island in Ecuador's Galápagos Archipelago. The island has an area of 173 km2 (67 sq mi). It was formed by volcanic eruption. The island's highest point is Cerro Pajas at 640 m (2,100 ft), which is also the highest point of the volcano like most of the smaller islands of Galápagos. The island has a population of about 100.
Española or Espanola Island is the most southerly of the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, about a 10 to 12-hour trip by boat from Santa Cruz.
San Cristóbal Canton is a canton of Ecuador in the Galápagos Islands archipelago and one of the oldest in this insular geological formation. It consists of Española, Floreana, Genovesa, San Cristóbal, and Santa Fe Islands.
The black-striped sparrow is a passerine bird found from eastern Honduras to western Ecuador, northern Brazil, and Venezuela.
The Tumbes sparrow is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae found in Ecuador and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
The Galápagos mockingbird is a species of bird in the family Mimidae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
David Tipling is a professional wildlife photographer. He has won the documentary award for the European Nature Photographer of the Year for his work on emperor penguins.
Microlophus habelii, commonly known as the Marchena lava lizard, is a species of lava lizard endemic to the Galapagos island of Marchena.
Darwin's Arch was a natural rock arch feature to the south-east of Darwin Island in the Galápagos Archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, and is now a pillar formation. The arch sat on an irregularly shaped, rocky, submerged plateau, nicknamed "the theatre". The arch collapsed into the sea on 17 May 2021 from natural erosion.
Pete Oxford is a British-born conservation photographer based in Cape Town, South Africa, after living in Quito, Ecuador for several years. Originally trained as a marine biologist, he and his wife, South African-born Reneé Bish, now work as a professional photographic team focusing primarily on wildlife and indigenous cultures.
Gilbert's leaf-toed gecko, also known commonly as the Wenman Island gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to the Galapagos Islands.
Miles McMullan is an author, illustrator, conservationist and naturalist from Northern Ireland, who has made innovative books on neotropical wildlife.
