The common cactus finch or small cactus finch (''Geospiza scandens'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

in the

Darwin's finch Darwin's finches (also known as the Galápagos finches) are a group of about 18 species of passerine birds. They are well known for being a classic example of adaptive radiation and for their remarkable diversity in beak form and function. The ...

group of the

tanager The tanagers (singular ) comprise the bird family (biology), family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has a Neotropical distribution and is the second-largest family of birds. It represents about 4% of all avian species and 12 ...

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Thraupidae The tanagers (singular ) comprise the bird family (biology), family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has a Neotropical distribution and is the second-largest family of birds. It represents about 4% of all avian species and 12 ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the Galapagos Islands, where it is found on most islands, with the notable exception of Fernandina, Española,

Genovesa Genovesa Island (), also known as Tower Island, is a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The island occupies about , and its maximum elevation is . The horse-shoe shaped island has a volcanic caldera whose wal ...

, Darwin and

Wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...

. Most of these islands are inhabited by its close relative, the

Española cactus finch The Española cactus finch (''Geospiza conirostris''), is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is one of Darwin's finches, and is endemic to the Galápagos islands, where it is restricted to Española, Genovesa, and the Darwin ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s are dry scrubland and woodland. It is usually closely associated with the cactus ''

Opuntia ''Opuntia'', commonly called the prickly pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae, many known for their flavorful fruit and showy flowers. Cacti are native to the Americas, and are well adapted to arid clima ...

''.

Taxonomy

The common cactus finch is one of nine species in the genus ''

Geospiza ''Geospiza'' is a genus of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. All species in the genus are endemic to the Galápagos Islands. Together with related genera, they are collectively known as Darwin's finches. Although in the past, they were class ...

'', part of a group of closely related species known as Darwin's finches.Swash and Stills 2005, p. 100. There are four recognized subspecies: *''G. s. abingdoni'' is found on Pinta.Swash and Stills 2005, p. 104. *''G. s. intermedia'' is found on Santa Fé, Floreana, Santa Cruz, Isabela and Pinzón. *''G. s. rothschildi'' is found on Marchesa. *''G. s. scandens'' is found on Santiago and Rábida.

Habitat and range

Found in the arid zone of many of the islands in the Galápagos, the common cactus finch is seldom far from areas of ''Opuntia'' cactus.

References

common cactus finch Endemic birds of the Galápagos Islands common cactus finch Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Thraupidae-stub