Nest Description He collected several finch species, including the warbler finch, sharp-beaked finch, ground finch, small tree finch, large tree finch, common cactus finch and large ground finch. Darwin’s Finches are very fearless and very noisy. Adaptable, colorful, and cheery-voiced, House Finches are common from coast to coast today, familiar visitors to backyard feeders. Common cactus finch. House Finches nest in a variety of deciduous and coniferous trees as well as on cactus and rock ledges. The longer and decurved beaks of Common G. scandens and Large Cactus-finch G. conirostris (on Isla Genovese) are used to probe into flowers for nectar. Interesting Facts About the House Finch. 2006 California Academy of Sciences cc-by-nc-sa-3.0 Common Cactus-Finch includes 4 children: Geospiza scandens abingdoni (Sclater, PL & Salvin … Darwin's Finches Geospiza is a genus of bird - all its members are endemic to the Galapagos Islands. Occasionally House Finches use the abandoned nests of other birds. Their body shape is similar to other finches, and they have short, thick bills. All of Darwin’s Finches are sparrow sized and similar in appearance with grey, brown, black or olive feathers. New York pet shop owners, who had been selling the finches illegally, released their birds in 1940 to escape prosecution; the finches survived, and began to colonize the New York suburbs. This group of at least 13 species of finches is endemic to the islands, having evolved from one single ancestor. Galapagos Finches/Darwin’s Finches There are 14 different species of Darwin’s Finches with 13 of the species resident on the Galapagos islands. This finch eats cactus, and in particular it likes Opuntia cacti, especially the pollen and nectar. Both sexes have light brown plumage, or feathers, with white and dark brown mottling. It is endemic to the Galapagos Islands, where it is found on most islands, with the notable exception of Fernandina, Española, Genovesa, Darwin and Wolf. The Common Cactus Finch was originally mis-identified by Charles Darwin as a blackbird. House Finches are widespread and common little songbirds. They also nest in or on buildings, using sites like vents, ledges, street lamps, ivy, and hanging planters. In particular, the beak of the common cactus finch became blunter and more similar to the beak of the medium ground finch," say Rosemary and … Its beak is long, sharp, and pointed, enabling the bird to forage for food from Opuntia Cacti plants – nectar and pollen when in flower, or buds and seeds seeds, our … It will also eat invertebrates and some other plants. Native to the Southwest, they are recent arrivals in the East. Pin Common Cactus Finch When most people think about the native wildlife of the Galapagos Islands, they probably think of iguanas, blue-footed boobies, sea lions and tortoises.Not quite so famous, at least outside of scientific and bird watching circles, are Darwin’s finches.. It also enjoys the fruit and seeds of the same plant. Darwin’s Finches are named after the great biologist […] Known occurrences, collected specimens and observations of Common Cactus-Finch. View this species on GBIF . However, males have red or rose-colored accents on their heads, necks, and chests. The Common Cactus Finch or Small Cactus Finch (Geospiza scandens) is a species of bird in the Darwin's finch group of the tanager family Thraupidae.