Galapagos Mockingbird
Miranda Krestovnikoff presents a bird which intrigued Darwin, the Galapagos mockingbird.
Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.
Miranda Krestovnikoff presents a bird which intrigued Darwin, the Galapagos mockingbird. There are four species of Mockingbird in the Galapagos islands, which probably all descended from a single migrant ancestor and then subsequently evolved different adaptations to life on their separate island clusters, hence their fascination for Charles Darwin. The most widespread is the resourceful Galapagos Mockingbird. Unlike other mockingbirds which feed on nectar and seeds, the Galapagos mockingbird has adapted to its island life to steal and break into seabird eggs and even attack and kill young nestlings. They'll also ride on the backs of land iguanas to feed on ticks deep within the reptiles' skin and will boldly approach tourists for foot. They aptly demonstrate the theory of the "survival of the fittest".
Producer : Andrew Dawes
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Galapagos mockingbird (Mimus parvulus)
Webpage image courtesy of Tui De Roy / naturepl.com.
Β© Tui De Roy / naturepl.com
Broadcasts
- Wed 15 Oct 2014 05:58Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Sun 19 Oct 2014 08:58Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Tue 6 Oct 2015 05:58Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Sun 23 Jun 2019 08:58Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Sun 4 Oct 2020 08:58Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Tue 7 Mar 2023 05:58Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
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