Discover the amazing and fearless wildlife that you can see on a fascinating visit to the Galapagos Islands.
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South America
Great frigate bird
You don’t have to be a twitcher to appreciate and enjoy the incredible diversity of bird life on the Galapagos Islands. Depending on the time of year and the particular island you are visiting, you will have unique opportunities to observe and photograph rare and endemic bird species and can hope to be treated to spectacular displays of courtship, feeding and nesting at very close quarters.
The sounds of the Galapagos birdlife are no less striking, as the air is filled with the whistling of male boobies, their partners’ honking in response and the resplendent male great frigate drumming on his incredible trademark red pouch.
Other birds, not detailed below, you will have to step over or who will glide past your head include brown pelicans, lava herons, mockingbirds and the Galapagos dove and hawk.
Smaller than its Antarctic cousins, the waved albatross is still the largest bird inhabiting the Galapagos with an incredible 2.4m wing span.
After the April-December mating season (the only time the species will be in the Galapagos) they will glide from the Pacific ocean to distant Asian coastlines before returning to mate. The intricate breeding and courting dances are evolved from exotic dance rituals and fencing battles with fellow males. However, once a mate is found they are monogamous.
Where found: The waved albatross can only be seen nesting on Espanola Island between April and December.
These penguins are considered one of the smallest of their species and only grow to 30cm tall.
They are the only ones that can be found in the northern hemisphere and typically surface between 5-7am in the early morning.
Current populations are believed to be around 2,000 birds.
Where found: They live and breed mainly on Isabela and Fernandina islands but can also be seen at the base of Pinnacle Rock on Bartolome.
The red-footed booby known as ‘Sula sula’ is the only booby that is known to nest in trees.
They are a light brown coloured bird. They are powerful and agile fliers, but are clumsy in takeoffs and landings. However, they are spectacular divers and plunge into the ocean at high speeds to catch prey. They mainly eat small fish or squid which gather in groups near the surface.
Where found: It is usually only seen on Genovesa Island.
The largest of all cormorants and an extremely rare variety of bird with no flying ability due to withered wings.
It will spread its wings and makes out it's about to takeoff but fortunately has no natural predators on the Galapagos.
Like all cormorants, the flightless cormorant has webbed feet and powerful legs that propel it though the water after its prey of fish, eels and small octopuses. They feed near the bottom and no more than 100 m offshore. They do not have waterproof feathers so have to spend time after each dive drying their feathers in the sun.
Where found: It is found only on Fernandina and Isabela islands on the westerly coastline.
The most common species of booby in the Galapagos.
The female usually lays multiple eggs making it the only booby sub-species to do this. They catch fish by sky diving and have fascinating (also read “ridiculous” in some people’s eyes) courtship dances.
Some of the best known images of the Galapagos are of this enchanting ‘skypointing’ ritual, when the males attract their mates by means of extravagant strutting and wing stretching.
Where found: This booby can be found on many islands throughout the year but usually breeds on Espanola and Seymour Islands.
Varieties include the great, the magnificent frigatebird and fregata minor and all possess great wingspans similar in length to the waved albatross. In addition, they have long, forked tails with angled wings increasing their aerodynamic potential and airborne speed. They land near to other birds and hassle them for food as the loss of plumage prevents them landing in the sea. During breeding season males display by inflating their bright red throat pouches, with competitive males often trying to burst them, increasing their chances of attracting a female.
Where found: Frigate birds can be seen all across the archipelago and they breed at different times of the year on Genovesa, San Cristobal and Seymour Islands.
Also known as the masked booby this variety has white plumage and a black mask surrounding the eye and is the heavier set of the three varieties. They nest on the ground like the blue-footed booby, and fishes using techniques similar to both the blue-footed and red-footed cousins.
Where found: Nazca boobies are commonly seen on Espanola, San Cristobal, Daphne Major and Genovesa Islands.
Stately and long-legged, Galapagos flamingos reside in the salt-water lagoons hidden in the lava fields behind the coasts of the Galapagos Islands. Their pink colour appears crimson and black when they take to flight. They lay their eggs in muddy nests which they build in the shallow waters of the lagoons. Their beaks have deep troughs with a unique filtering system that enables flamingos to separate fish and other edibles from mouthfuls of water and mud.
Where found: Commonly seen on Floreana Island.
The distinctive group of birds which provided Charles Darwin evidence for his theory of evolution. There are now 14 identified species of finches on the Galapagos, all of which are 10 to 20 cm long and of brownish or black coloration. They differ greatly, however, in the configuration of their bills, which are suited to their diverse feeding habits. Two species, the woodpecker finch and the mangrove finch, use cactus spines to probe for grubs.
Where found: Distribution varies and some species are limited to only one or two islands in the Galapagos.