Fun Common Cactus-finch Facts For Kids
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The common cactus finch, geospiza, is also called the small cactus finch. The common cactus finch is an endemic species.
It is endemic to the Galapagos Islands. However, the common cactus finch Galapagos tends to avoid areas inhabited by the large cactus finch. The bird belongs to the genus Geospiza.
This implies that it is a ground-finch. However, the common cactus finch has longer bills than most other ground finches. Also, the common cactus finch heavily feeds on the seeds and flowers of the cactus Opuntia (prickly pear).
This feature distinguishes the bird from the other ground finches like the large ground finch, sharp-beaked ground finch, and medium ground finch. There are four subspecies of this species.
They are the Geospiza scandens scandens, Geospiza scandens rothschildi, the Geospiza scandens abingdoni, and the Geospiza scandens intermedia. All these species are endemic to the Galapagos Islands.
In the Galapagos islands, these Darwin's finches are not found in Española Genovesa, Fernandina Island, Wolf Island, or Darwin Island. The islands of Española Genovesa, Fernandina, Wolf, and Darwin are mainly inhabited by the Española cactus finch. These two finches are closely related.
Like reading about the bird? Want to know more about this ground finch of this family? Want to have some food for thought? Let's move on.
If you like reading about the common cactus finch, you may also like reading about the bee-eater facts and the blue jay facts.
Common Cactus Finch Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a common cactus finch?
The common cactus finch, Geospiza scandens, is a bird that belongs to the phylum Chordata, and the order Passeriformes.
What class of animal does a common cactus finch belong to?
The common cactus finch, Geospiza scandens, belongs to the class Aves, that is, it is a bird.
How many common cactus finches are there in the world?
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the exact number of mature individuals of the common cactus finch is not known. However, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the population trend of this group of Darwin's finches is stable.
Where does a common cactus finch live?
The cactus finch, Geospiza scandens, of the family Thraupidae is endemic to the Galapagos Islands.
What is a common cactus finch's habitat?
The small common cactus finch's habitat is in woodlands and shrublands. This species is mainly found in arid zones where the prickly-pear cactus (Opuntia) grows. The habitat of the population of these small birds is closely associated with areas where this specific cactus grows. This species of finches may rarely venture into more humid areas in the world.
Who do common cactus finches live with?
Finches are usually social birds. They love to interact with each other.
How long does a common cactus finch live?
The information is not available for the species.
How do they reproduce?
These finches that are abundant in the Galapagos Islands usually breed in the wet season. More than one brood of the common cactus finch is raised during this time. The nest is built by the males in the Opuntia cactus or other dense shrubs.
The nest is built at an elevation of not more than three meters. A clutch of three to four eggs is laid. The nest is mainly built from dry grasses.
Other vegetation is also used. The eggs are incubated by the females for 12 days. The young ones stay in the nest for 11-14 days.
What is their conservation status?
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the common cactus finch of the genus Geospiza is classified as of Least Concern. The common cactus finch protection is important.
Common Cactus Finch Fun Facts
What do common cactus finches look like?
The males and the females of the species have different physical features. The beak is prominent for both males and females. It is seen that they have small blackish legs.
The iris of the eyes is seen as blackish in color. The birds see distinctly. For the males, the beak is black in the breeding period. The beak is yellowish-orange during the non-breeding phase for the males.
In between these two phases, it is orange at the base and yellow at the tip. Immature males are often intermediate in appearance between fully formed males and females. The head of these immature males is dark in color.
How cute are they?
These birds are very cute with their long bills and dark upperparts.
How do they communicate?
This group of Darwin's finches sings a doubled note of 'zhhwe'. These Darwin's finches may also sing a complex version, a repetition of 'zhh-wah-wah'. The call of these Darwin's finches is a high 'tiip'. Males of the finches usually sing a single type of song.
How big is a common cactus finch?
The cactus finch, Geospiza scandens, is 4.7-5.5 in (12-14 cm) in length. The common cactus finch is smaller than the large cactus finch. The large cactus finch ranges from 5.1-5.9 in (13-15 cm) in length.
How fast can a common cactus finch fly?
This information is not available for this species of bird.
How much does a common cactus finch weigh?
This species of bird weighs about 0.7-0.9 oz (20-24 g). On the other hand, the large cactus finch weighs about 1 oz (28 g). These two birds are related in the sense that these Darwin's finches are the recognized cactus finches species.
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no different names for the male and the female of the cactus finch.
What would you call a baby common cactus finch?
There are no specific names given to these birds. They are known as chicks, like other birds.
What do they eat?
The range of food consumed by the species is not that diverse. The common cactus finch diet is omnivorous. The cactus finch, Geospiza scandens, feeds on the seeds and flowers of the Opuntia cactus.
This group of birds feeds on the nectar of the flowers. Opuntia seeds form about a third of the food consumed by these Darwin's finches. The flowers form another third of the diet of these Darwin's finches.
A quarter of the food consumed consists of small seeds. The rest of the food includes small amounts of Tribulus seeds and arthropods. Nectar and pollen of the cactus are favorites of the large cactus finch as well.
Are they poisonous?
No, they are not poisonous.
Would they make a good pet?
The finches are lively and chirpy. They make good pets. The common cactus finch is a popular pet.
Did you know...
The common cactus finch defense mechanisms are unique.
The cactus finch, Geospiza scandens, is not migratory.
The cactus finch is found in the wild in North Seymour, San Cristobal, Floreana, Santa Cruz Island, and Genovesa Island. They prefer a dry environment.
The small tree finches are found in the wild in Floreana, and Santiago Island. The green warbler finches are found in the wild in Isabela island. The woodpecker finches are also found in Isabela and Santa Cruz islands.
How do you identify a common cactus finch?
The physical features of these Darwin's finches help to identify them. This ground finch has a distinctive beak. The base of the beak is deep. It is long and a bit droopy.
The breeding male ground finch has a black beak. While the non-breeding male and the female common cactus finch have a dull orange beak. The plumage of the common cactus finch males Galapagos is deep black. The plumage of the female common cactus finch is dark brown in color. The underparts are lighter with gray blotches.
Why are they called cactus finch?
These Darwin's finches are called cactus finches as they depend on Opuntia (Prickly pear) cactus for food and nesting.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including Amazon parrot facts and burrowing owl facts pages.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art
Georgia StoneBachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art
Georgia is an experienced Content Manager with a degree in French and Film Studies from King's College London and Bachelors degree from Université Paris-Sorbonne. Her passion for exploring the world and experiencing different cultures was sparked during her childhood in Switzerland and her year abroad in Paris. In her spare time, Georgia enjoys using London's excellent travel connections to explore further afield.
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