Few people have the tenacity of ecologists Peter and Rosemary Grant, willing to spend part of each year since 1973 in a tent on a tiny, barren volcanic island in the Galapagos. Even fewer would have ...

The 14 species of Galapagos finches that have inspired evolutionists since the days of Charles Darwin may reveal yet more. The birds may have evolved different courtship songs as byproducts of beak ...

Invasive parasites in the Galápagos Islands may leave some Darwin’s tree finches singing the blues. The nonnative Philornis downsi fly infests the birds’ nests and lays its eggs there. Fly larvae ...

Charles Darwin developed the theory of evolution by observing finches on the Galapagos Islands and speculating how each type developed distinct characteristics to take advantage of local conditions.

Bird beaks have a variety of shapes and purposes. Here are common bird beak types you should look for and how they help birds find food.

Darwin's finches are among the most celebrated examples of adaptive radiation in the evolution of modern vertebrates and now a new study has provided fresh insights into their rapid development and ...

Carotenoids are the underlying pigment for much of the enormous variety in color found across birds and form the basis for the colors red, yellow, and orange. In a study published in Current Biology, ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The finches that call Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands home are ...

AMHERST, Mass. – They say that hindsight is 20/20, and though the theory of ecological speciation — which holds that new species emerge in response to ecological changes — seems to hold in retrospect, ...

If you want a fun learning experience, watch the birds at your feeders. Notice the different types of beaks and how their shapes dictate a bird’s dining habits — particularly the way it consumes black ...

When you spend hours and hours watching the same community of birds in the same place over the course of weeks, months and years, you risk the chance of getting a little bored. To keep things ...