The finch that drinks the blood of much larger seabirds
On two remote islands, the finches survive by drinking the blood of much larger birds.
Which one is REALLY true about the Vampire Ground Finch?
The short version
The vampire ground finch lives on two of the driest Galapagos islands, where fresh water is almost absent. It lands on nesting boobies many times its size, pecks at the base of the feathers until the skin breaks, and drinks the blood. The behaviour likely evolved from picking parasites off the same birds.
Why it's so weird
- ✓The Vampire Ground Finch pecks at the base of a nesting booby's feathers until the skin breaks, then drinks the blood.
- ✓The Vampire Ground Finch lives on just two remote Galapagos islands and nowhere else on Earth.
- ✓The Vampire Ground Finch turned to blood because there is almost no fresh water and very little food where it lives.
- ✓The Vampire Ground Finch hops onto the back of a seabird many times its size, and the booby usually just sits there and lets it happen.
- ✓The Vampire Ground Finch steals eggs as well, rolling them into rocks to crack them open.
You could line up about 10 of them along a 7-year-old!
The full story
On two tiny islands, the finches drink blood. Meet the vampire ground finch, found nowhere else on Earth but two remote outposts of the Galapagos. There is almost no fresh water there and very little food, so it evolved a shocking backup plan. It hops onto the back of a nesting booby, a seabird many times its size, and pecks at the base of the feathers until the skin breaks. Then it drinks. Strangely, the booby usually just sits there and tolerates the whole thing. Scientists believe the habit began with the finches picking parasites off those same birds, a helpful clean-up that slowly turned into something much darker. They also steal eggs, rolling them into rocks to crack them open. Follow for more weird animal facts.
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“The Vampire Ground Finch pecks at the base of a nesting booby's feathers until the skin breaks, then drinks the blood.”
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“The Vampire Ground Finch lives on just two remote Galapagos islands and nowhere else on Earth.”