Geospiza fuliginosa Skull or Small Ground Finch is museum quality polyurethane cast. Small Ground Finch Skull is made in USA. One of Darwin’s Finches
The Geospiza fuliginosa or Small ground finch 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.
Although the population size of the small ground finch has not been quantified, it is described as common across the Galápagos, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as a species of Least Concern.
Its numbers seem to be stable, and neither its population size nor its range size appear to approach thresholds for concern.
On the Galápagos Islands, it is impacted by some human activities, including fires, overgrazing by domestic and feral animals, and the introduction of exotic species.
It is found in ten of the Important Bird Areas established on the islands.The species suffers from high mortality rates from the parasitic fly, ranging from 16% to 95% over a four-year period (2002–2006).
The Geospiza fuliginosa or 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.
The small ground finch is the smallest of the ground finches, measuring 4.3 in. in length. Its beak is short and pointed, with a slightly curved culmen. On average, its beak is smaller than that of the medium ground finch.
The male G. fuliginosa or Small ground finch is black with white-tipped undertail coverts, while the female and young are brown with streaked underparts.
The small ground finch is endemic to the Galápagos Islands. Abundant and widespread, it is found on every island in the archipelago except for the Genovesa, Wolf and Darwin islands. It is most common in arid coastal and transition areas, though it moves into the highlands following the breeding season.
The small ground finch is an omnivore with a preference for vegetable matter. It feeds primarily on the ground or in low vegetation, eating seeds, buds, flowers, leaves and the occasional insect.
It forms symbiotic relationships with Galápagos tortoises and both marine and Galápagos land iguanas by gleaning parasites from their skins.
