Photos of a possible Mangrove Finch Camarhynchus heliobates on Fernandina Island

All photos were taken by Nick Athanas (nick_athanas@hotmail.com) on 26 November 2008, 8:03-8:08am local time, in mangroves at Punta Espinosa, Fernandina Island, Galápagos. GPS coordinates picked from Google Earth: S 0º15'59.83", W 91º26'57.55", sea level.

The bird flew in and perched on a branch in a mangrove tree, where it stayed for about five minutes. It preened several times, and once briefly put it's bill into a little hole in the branch. It then moved away into the mangroves and out of our sight. It did not vocalize.

We visited this site while I was leading a birdwatching tour for Tropical Birding. Andrés Vásquez was the co-leader of the tour. Rogelio Guaycha Ayala was the Galápagos National Park guide. The tour participants were Andrew Bigler, Rigoberto Bigler, Stephen Bigler, William Bigler, Brooke Clibban, Arthur Martell, Susan Martell, Brian McKnight, Jacqueline Phillips, Mark Phillips, Joanne Sandin, Eric Tull, Geraldine Wigglesworth, Kenneth Wigglesworth. Everyone saw the bird. Brooke Clibban obtained some video, which I can hopefully add a link to at some stage.

Updated 09-June-2009 by Nick Athanas 
 
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