Finches are a mainstay at my feeders – goldfinches are my favorite – but in all my observations, I have never seen anything as unique as the vampire ground finch. This tiny bird can only be found on the Galapagos Islands of Wolf and Darwin (the northernmost islands in the archipelago) and it’s one of the thirteen species of finches Darwin studied while developing his theory of evolution. At first glance, they look like any other finch, and at one time they were believed to be a subspecies of the sharp-beaked ground finch, though that theory has been genetically disproven. What sets them apart is the trait that gives them their name – vampire ground finches consume the blood of red and blue footed boobies by pecking at the larger birds until they draw blood. It’s believed that this action evolved from the finch removing parasites from the boobies, which didn’t seem to mind their little friends’ actions. Eventually the finches started drinking blood which water was scare. I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I could ever be thirsty enough to drink blood, and I hope I never have to test that theory.
I Am A Voice For The Voiceless 