Large cactus-finch  (Geospiza conirostris)

Description

Ever since they were first collected during the voyage of the Beagle, Darwin’s finches have inspired a plethora of evolutionary research (3). Descending from an ancestral flock that colonised the Galapagos archipelago several millennia ago, each species famously possesses a beak specialised according to its individual dietary niche (2) (4). The large cactus-finch is one of the most variable of Darwin’s finches, with individuals in a single population exhibiting a relatively wide array of beak dimensions (5). Like the other ground finches (Geospiza sp.), the adult male plumage of the large cactus-finch is completely black while the female is brown and streaked (2).

Darwin Now is the British Council's contribution to the international celebration of the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150 year anniversary of the publication of On The Origin of Species
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