29 January 2011

Galapagos Wading & Water Birds

Many of the water associated birds we encountered on the Galapagos were long distance migrants, but there were also some resident species. We sighted Semi-palmated Plovers on numerous occasions. During July/August, 2010, I found this species breeding in the Pribilof Islands five to six thousands miles NW of the Galapagos.Striated Herons frequented the shorelines and potholes of most of the Galapagos Islands we visited. Some color morphs were once considered a separate species - Lava Herons - but DNA studies have determined otherwise.As their name implies, Flightless Cormorants are certainly not migrants, as they are the only species of flightless cormorants in the world. Cattle Egrets, apparently historically found in Africa, now seem to be found throughout much of the tropical and temperate world.Whimbrels have been present in many of the seaside locations I have visited in the past several years.One of the species I was especially interested in finding on the Galapagos was the White-cheeked Pintail. The only place we found them was on a volcanic pothole on Isabela Island. This species is also found in the Caribbean Islands, and it is unclear to me whether or not there is interchange between these populations.What can I say about Sanderlings? They seem to be present at some portion of the year on almost any ocean shoreline where I have visited in the Western Hemisphere. And we see them regularly during fall migration in Montana. American Oystercatchers were present on many Galapagos islands and we observed several nest sites and breeding pairs.Perhaps the target bird species that I was most anxious to observe was the Greater Flamingo. Having failed in several attempts to find them in the Florida Everglades where they occasionally occur, I was hoping my luck would change on this trip. After a half hour walk over some desolate lava flows on Isabela Island, we found four of them on a brackish water pothole. Their pink coloration in this mostly gray and black environment was striking, but fit in well with the Mangrove and other vegetation along the perimeter of the pothole. This species seems more like a tropical one so finding them in a near desert situation on Isabela Island was a real treat. In good precipitation years, their numbers are estimated at nearly 400. On at least one occasion, birds from this population have been observed on mainland Ecuador so there may be interchange with other populations in South America and the Caribbean.

1 comment:

  1. Great pictures, especially the flamingo. That's a prize winner.

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