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Small Ground-Finch
Geospiza fuliginosa
Silhouette: Manabu Sakamoto · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyThraupidae (Tanagers and Allies)
- GenusGeospiza (Ground-Finches and Cactus-Finches)
- SpeciesGeospiza fuliginosa (Small Ground-Finch)
In 3 days >90%
11,001 Verified sightings at Galápagos Islands From 2019 to 2026
11,001 In 1 park
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the Small Ground-Finch
The small ground finch (Geospiza fuliginosa) is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. Endemic to the Galápagos Islands, it is common and widespread in shrubland, woodland, and other habitats on most islands in the archipelago. It commonly feeds on small seeds and parasites from the skins of Galápagos land and marine iguanas and Galápagos tortoises.
The small ground finch is one of Darwin's finches, a group of closely related birds which evolved on the Galápagos Islands. The group is related to the Tiaris grassquits, which are found in South America and the Caribbean.
When Charles Darwin first collected the species in 1835, he thought it was a finch. John Gould, who officially described Darwin's specimens, agreed, placing it in the genus Fringilla with the Old World finches. By 1841, Gould had changed his mind, moving this and five other species into the new genus Geospiza — still a genus of finches, but distinct from those of the Old World. DNA research has now shown that all of Darwin's "finches" are actually tanagers.
The name Geospiza is a combination of the Greek words geo-, meaning "ground-", and spiza, meaning finch. The specific... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Small Ground-Finch in Galápagos Islands
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Closest Relatives at Galápagos Islands
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Small Ground-Finch in Galápagos Islands?
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Small Ground-Finch sighting in Galápagos Islands on a given day, based on 11,001 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 114 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Small Ground-Finch in Galápagos Islands?
April, July and October–November
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Small Ground-Finch in Galápagos Islands on a given day, against about 60% in February and March, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Small Ground-Finch?
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small Ground-Finch sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Where else can you see a Small Ground-Finch?
Only Galápagos Islands, in our data
Galápagos Islands is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Small Ground-Finch sightings: about 70% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Which relatives of the Small Ground-Finch live in Galápagos Islands?
Same genus: Geospiza
The closest relatives of the Small Ground-Finch that you can see in Galápagos Islands (genus Geospiza, Ground-Finches and Cactus-Finches) are Medium Ground-Finch (about 50%), Common Cactus-Finch (about 20%) and Large Ground-Finch (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Small Ground-Finch sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Small Ground-Finch is recorded against all the birds logged in Galápagos Islands (11,001 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
