science

List of birds of the Galápagos Islands

List of birds of the Galápagos Islands is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of birds of the Galápagos Islands rather than just read about it. In short: This list of birds recorded in the Galápagos Islands includes species recorded in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador, where 190 species have been documented as of March 2025. Of them, 30 are endemic (one of which is extinct), four nest only in the Galápagos, and virtually the entire population of a fifth nests there.

Key takeaways

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Connect List of birds of the Galápagos Islands to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
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Reference excerpt

This list of birds recorded in the Galápagos Islands includes species recorded in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador, where 190 species have been documented as of March 2025. Of them, 30 are endemic (one of which is extinct), four nest only in the Galápagos, and virtually the entire population of a fifth nests there. Seventeen endemic subspecies are noted. In addition, 65 of the species are accidental and 11 were introduced to the islands, four of which are domesticated. Unless otherwise noted, this list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) are those of the South American Classification Committee (SACC) of the American Ornithological Society. The following tags are used to define several categories of occurrence. Untagged species are common non-endemic residents, migrants, or seasonal visitors.

(A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in the Galápagos (E) Endemic - a species found only the Galápagos (EB) Endemic breeder - a species which nests only in the Galápagos but is found elsewhere in the non-breeding season (ES) Endemic subspecies - a subspecies found only in the Galápagos (I) Introduced - a species introduced to the Galápagos as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions (D) Domesticated - a species which is domesticated in the Galápagos but not naturalised

Ducks

Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae These are adapted to an aquatic life, possessing webbed feet, an oily covering on their feathers to shed water, and bills adapted to their feeding needs.

Black-bellied whistling duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis (A) Graylag goose, Anser anser domesticus (D) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors Cinnamon teal, Spatula cyanoptera White-cheeked pintail, Anas bahamensis galapagensis (ES) Domestic mallard, Anas platyrhynchos domesticus (D) Masked duck, Nomonyx dominicus (A)

Guineafowl Order: Galliformes Family: Numididae Guineafowl are African gamebirds, mostly spotted, with bare skin on the head and neck to lose heat.

Helmeted guineafowl, Numida meleagris (I)

Pheasants

Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae Phasianidae consists of the pheasants and their allies. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump with broad relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans.

Green peafowl, Pavo muticus (I) Common quail, Coturnix coturnix (I) Domestic chicken, Gallus gallus domesticus (D) Domestic turkey, Meleagris gallopavo (D)

Flamingos Order: Phoenicopteriformes Family: Phoenicopteridae Flamingos are water birds with a downcurved beak for sieving food.

Chilean flamingo, Phoenicopterus chilensis (A) American flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber

Grebes

Order: Podicipediformes Family: Podicipedidae Grebes are aquatic birds most closely related to flamingoes. They are well adapted to living in water but are clumsy on land, never straying far from water when they build their nests.

Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps

Pigeons Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are medium to large mostly plump birds. Most are arboreal species descending to the ground to feed but some are terrestrial like the quail-doves of South America or the pheasant-pigeon of New Guinea. They are found worldwide except near the poles and in a wide variety of habitats including urban. The feral form of the rock pigeon has been introduced worldwide.

Rock pigeon, Columba livia (Ex) Galapagos dove, Zenaida galapagoensis (E) Eared dove, Zenaida auriculata (A)

Cuckoos Order: Cuculiformes Family: Cuculidae Cuckoos are found almost worldwide. They are highly variable in size, shape, colour, and habits.

Smooth-billed ani, Crotophaga ani (I) Dark-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus melacoryphus Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus (A) Gray-capped cuckoo, Coccyzus lansbergi

Nightjars

Order: Caprimulgiformes Family: Caprimulgidae Nighthawks belong to the same family as nightjars but are found only in the Americas. They have mottled or striped plumage for camouflage.

Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor

Swifts Order: Apodiformes Family: Apodidae Swifts are aerodynamic species which are found worldwide. Some species are migratory, others resident, and others still have both migratory and resident populations.

Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica (A)

Rails

Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae Rails are usually secretive birds. Many island species are flightless and many of those have gone extinct in the last five centuries. Gallinules are less secretive, and are usually found near or on water.

Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinica Galapagos rail, Laterallus spilonota (E) Paint-billed crake, Mustelirallus erythrops Sora, Porzana carolina (A) Common gallinule, Gallinula galeata American coot, Fulica americana (A)

Plovers

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Charadriidae Plovers are dull-coloured shorebirds without many distinguishing features. The bill is short and straight to catch worms on the surface. Lapwings are slightly bigger and more colourful shorebirds. Their legs are longer than plover's but the bill is the same size with respect to the body.

Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva Tawny-throated dotterel, Oreopholus ruficollis (A) Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus (A) Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus Wilson's plover, Anarynchus wilsonia (A)

Oystercatchers

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Haematopodidae Oystercatchers are black or black and white shorebirds with long orange bills and with or without an eyering. The legs are pinkish.

American oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus galapagensis (ES)

Avocets and stilts

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Recurvirostridae Stilts are spindly legged birds with black and white markings.

Black-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus

Sandpipers Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae

Sandpipers are long-legged mostly long-billed shorebirds. Some like woodcocks and snipes are forest species but most others are estuarine or wetland species.

Skuas

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Stercorariidae Stercorariidae are predatory birds typically separated into the bigger Catharacta skuas and the smaller Stercorarius jaegers.

Great skua, Stercorarius skua Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus (A) Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus

Gulls

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of birds of the Galápagos Islands

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of birds of the Galápagos Islands claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of birds of the Galápagos Islands before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of birds of the Galápagos Islands ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of birds of the Galápagos Islands

In research: List of birds of the Galápagos Islands appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of birds of the Galápagos Islands in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of birds of the Galápagos Islands is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Lists of birds by location, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of birds of the Galápagos Islands outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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Frequently asked questions

What is List of birds of the Galápagos Islands in simple terms?

Why does List of birds of the Galápagos Islands matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of birds of the Galápagos Islands?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of birds of the Galápagos Islands.