Woodpecker finch

Species of bird

The woodpecker finch (Camarhynchus pallidus) is a monomorphic species of bird in the Darwin's finch group of the tanager family, Thraupidae endemic to the Galapagos Islands. The diet of a woodpecker finch revolves mostly around invertebrates, but also encompasses a variety of seeds. Woodpecker finches, like many other species of birds, form breeding pairs and care for young until they have fledged. The most distinctive characteristic of woodpecker finches is their ability to use tools for foraging. Woodpecker finches have also shown the ability to learn new behaviours regarding tool use via social learning.

Woodpecker finches range in weight from 23g to 29g and are about 15 cm long. Wood boring beetle larvae are a staple of their diet. On the isolated Galapagos islands, without competition from South American woodpecker species, the woodpecker finch was able to adapt, and evolve its tool utilizing capability to compensate for its short tongue. In contrast, juvenile woodpecker finches have also been observed utilizing novel tools made from non native plant species, such as blackberry bushes. Woodpecker finches that live in more wet environments seldom use tools as prey is much more abundant. In contrast, they employ tool use much more when living in dry areas. During the dry season, woodpecker finches use tools while foraging to acquire up to 50% of their prey. The use of tools has allowed woodpecker finches to be able to obtain prey that they would otherwise be unable to reach with their short tongues. It is thought that this behaviour came to evolve due to the harshness of the dry and unstable environmental conditions of the Galapagos Islands.

There are no morphological differences between either sex in woodpecker finches, as they are monomorphic. Woodpecker finches mainly use moss, lichens, and grass as building materials for their nests. During the 2 week incubation period when females are sitting on the eggs, males linger nearby, often feeding the females. Female woodpecker finches typically lay around 2 3 eggs. Both males and females participate in the feeding of the chicks from the day they hatch until well after they have become independent. Woodpecker finch chicks will fledge around 2 weeks after hatching.