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Birds
Apart from the finches, the Galápagos mockingbirds (Mimus sp.) are the most notable evolutionary genus among the birds of the archipelago. There are four endemic species, identified usually by the island of their predominance. They are all long-tailed, with white, gray and brown markings, a sharp bill and facial patterning. Unlike other mockingbirds, they are not known to mimic the calls of other birds, but have their own distinct song. Probably descended from the Long-tailed mockingbird (Mimus longicaudatus) of the arid coasts of Peru and Ecuador, they have become slightly smaller, with shorter wings and tail.
The eponymous Galápagos mockingbird (M. parvulus) is probably the root species, originating in the easternmost isle of San Cristóbal and dispersing to the west. This aggressive bird is found on all major islands except those where competitive mockingbirds have evolved. They are omnivorous, and their habit of running after small lava lizards and insets has begged comparison with road-runners. The closely related San Cristóbal mockingbird (M. melanotis) is the population left behind on the root island, and is characterized by a very distinctive black eyepatch around its yellow eye.
More distantly related is the Española mockingbird (M. macdonaldi), found only on Española and nearby islands, and the Floreana mockingbird (M. trifasciatus), again named after its main habitation. The former has the longest bill of the four, and is notably tamer and more curious than other species. Many tourists to Española (or Hood Island) are struck by the forwardness and seeming intelligence of these birds.
The somewhat duller Floreana has the interesting habit of nesting in prickly pear, the only mockingbird to do so. Sadly, this bird is now extinct on Floreana island itself, probably due to the usual suspects. Cats, rats, dogs and goats, along with pigs and other barnyard animals, pirated their eggs and devoured their habitat. It is still seen on nearby Champion Island, where the heavy foot of civilization has yet to tread.
Interestingly, of the major islands of the central archipelago, only Pinzón lacks a mockingbird, despite its location between Santa Cruz and Isabela. Perhaps the limited biota on Pinzón is an explanation. Also, mockingbirds are not distance flyers to begin with, and their behavioral as well as physical evolution on separate islands has re-reinforced their isolation. While they became extinct on Baltra during the American occupation of the second World War, they have not yet repopulated despite the half-mile distance separating that island from Santa Cruz.
