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Newsletter / Blog
2012-02-29
What bird drinks the blood of other birds?
The Sharp-beaked Ground Finch - Geospiza difficilis – also known as
the Vampire Finch is endemic to the Galapagos Islands. They have the habit of feeding on
blood of large birds, notably Masked Boobies. They peck the skin of the Booby
with their very sharp beaks until they draw blood. Curiously their feeding does
not appear to harm the Boobies, who allow them to do so. It is theorized that
this behavior evolved from the pecking behavior that the finch used to clean
parasites from the plumage of the booby.
These finches
have also learnt to exploit the Boobies by rolling their eggs away so that they
crack on the rocks and provide further food. They also take nectar from the
Galapagos Prickly Pear. Seeds and insects make up the bulk of this birds diet. The
reasons for these peculiar feeding habits are the lack of fresh water on these
birds' home islands.
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