The Vampire Ground Finch

Nature 4 Minutes

The Galapagos Islands are home to some of the strangest and most unique creatures on earth. For what appears to simply be an unassuming little bird, there’s a lot of competition to stand out.

This ground finch makes sure to fit in amongst this archipelago of misfits by drinking the blood of other birds, and is therefore known as the vampire ground finch.

The vampire ground finch can be found on the Galapagos islands, which are located around 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador.

The vampire ground finch looks a lot like any other finch. You may mistake the red stain on its lips for berry juice, but this one really does have a hankering for bird blood.

It used to be considered a subspecies of the sharp-beaked ground finch, however strong genetic evidence suggests they are not closely related and they are considered their own species.

These are a vulnerable species, endemic to only two islands in the Galapagos, and they’re at risk of extinction from a new parasite.

However, they do appear to be adapting quickly and living up to their names as one of the 13 species of Darwin’s Finches found in the archipelago.

Here are some cool things about Vampire finches.

Interesting Vampire Ground Finch Facts

They like to drink from boobies

Let’s get this one out of the way, shall we? The vampire ground finch is peculiar in its choice of diet; part of which comes from the body of red, masked and blue-footed boobies. These tiny finches have been seen pecking at the skin of the boobie and ‘milking’ them for their blood.

This is where the name originates and is a behavior that – so far – hasn’t been seen in any other bird species. They seem to do it during times of drought, and for some reason, the boobies don’t seem to mind.

It’s possible that this behavior originated from a form of commensalism in which the ancestor of the vampire finch would pick off parasites from the boobie, and gradually evolved into cutting out the middle-man entirely. The finches then capitalized on an alternative food source!

While this is a mild irritance for adult blue-footed boobies, it’s potentially deadly for young chicks.

Vampire ground finch also eat eggs

While not exclusive to this bird, this is quite unusual for a finch.

This little vampire rolls eggs out of the nest by slapping their beak into the ground and pushing with their legs.

They occupy two islands

These finches are found on two islands in the Galapagos: Darwin and Wolf. Their habitat is greatly restricted and they’re unable to take on long flights, so each population has to stay put.

Each population has a different song

Strangely, both populations have their own song.

Much like its namesake, the Wolf Island population has a long and melodious call. In contrast, the Darwin population have what’s been described as a buzzing call.

They’re troubled by flies

Among the invasive species that threaten the ground finches of the Galapagos, a particular parasitic fly that was thought to have been introduced in the ‘60s has proven to be one of the most destructive.

These flies infect baby finches, and in a cruel twist of irony, parasitize them, often killing them in the process. This botfly is called the ‘avian vampire fly’, and threatens to wipe out populations of finches all over the Galapagos.

They contributed to the theory of evolution

Some people think the word theory means a simple idea, but in science, it refers to a form of robust and well-examined consensus.

Much like the theory of gravity, the theory of evolution was developed as an idea and then modelled and studied thoroughly into what we consider about as certain as we can be on any topic.

Legendary naturalist, Charles Darwin, had one of his most groundbreaking discoveries of evidence for evolution on the Galapagos, and much of his studying revolved around these finches.

These finches have become known as ‘Darwin’s Finches’, of which there are 13 species – the bloodsuckers being one of them. Each species evolved a different bill size and shape, which allows them to exploit different diets and food.

The vampire fly is forcing the vampire finch to evolve

Evolution isn’t a conscious adaptation to circumstances; it’s simply the product of useful random mutations, that happen to come in handy and then get passed on, or ‘selected for’.

The invasion of these vampire flies has been shown to affect the young of finches with lower levels of brood care instinct. That means females who naturally want to spend more time with their young are reproducing more successfully.

Over time, this trend may push out inattentive mothers and genetically reinforce those who show improved brood care as the genes that predispose the birds to this behavior faced with these selective pressures, changing the genetic buildup of the finch population and hopefully cementing this adaptation to the invasive fly problem.

They have unusual guts

Every animal on earth has at least billions of microbes living in its digestive system that help break down what they eat into useful building blocks. Different bacteria allow for different types of food to be broken down. For example, a cow has bacteria that produce the enzyme cellulase, which breaks down the cell walls of plants, and is how they manage to extract the protein for all that muscle only from grasses and herbs.

As any dog owner will recognize, dogs don’t have these bacteria, which is why when they eat grass, it comes out undigested; all stringy and gross in their poo. So, the bacteria in our body determine what we can eat, and finches are no different.

It’s been found that almost all of Darwin’s finches have very similar ranges of these bacteria living inside them with one exception: the vampire finch.

This bird has microbiota that are much more common in predatory birds and reptiles and goes a long way to explaining how they’re able to digest such unusual food.

Cotton bedding might help vampire ground finch conservation

One of the many suggested resolutions to the vampire fly/finch struggle is to infuse a type of cotton with an insecticide. The cotton is then supplied to the finches as nesting material and can kill 100% of the parasitic flies in the nest.

You might be wondering why conservationists are favoring one vampire over another, but it’s important to remember that the flies are an invasive species, and these can wreak havoc on local populations that have never had time to adapt to equilibrium with them; especially on islands – just ask New Zealand!

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Published by pat frederick

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168 thoughts on “The Vampire Ground Finch”

  1. Morning All! It’s the countdown to Halloween…and the opens reflect that…lol
    I saw some of the most elaborate Halloween decorations ever on this trip home! Because we drove in at night, we saw them all lit up! About a block from my mom’s, one house had a life sized coffin with a red light inside with a creepy skeleton hand opening the lid from the inside…pretty cool.

    more TRUMP flags this time too!

    Liked by 1 person

        1. Oh, he used to send me pics of 5-6 dead coyotes every time. I finally asked him to stop – I agree it has to be done but that doesn’t mean I enjoy looking at pic after pic of dead coyotes! LOL – send pics of your horses instead or the bear-hunting dogs you raise!

          Liked by 1 person

            1. That they are! Adorable as pups – they look like little black and white bears themselves!

              Karelian Bear Dog

              Bunch of info here – you may have to scroll down:

              Pros:
              High drive
              Strong willed
              Great holding power
              Brave, loyal, tenacious, cautious, independent, affectionate
              Extremely protective

              Cons:
              Require extra time and attention
              Need daily exercise
              Require disciplined handling
              Territorial
              Can be overly protective
              Price: $1,400 – $1,700

              The Karelian bear dog is not on the list because of its popularity among bear hunters in the U.S. However, some would call it the best kept secret of the hunting dog breeds, particularly when it comes to the pursuit of black bears….”

              https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/bear-hunting-dogs/

              Liked by 1 person

    1. George
      @BehizyTweets
      I never thought I’d be making a post like this but I just received TWO mail in ballots for people that don’t live at my address, in fact, people that live in a completely different state.

      The most concerning thing is that the elections are for important Constitutional amendments, critical City measures, school board members, etc

      Mail in voting is the catalysts for election fraud. Anyone that can’t see this is aiding in the destruction of the country. If we don’t get to the bottom of this before the 2024 election, this will happen again and again and again until people give up voting all together.

      This further motivates me to keep exposing election fraud everywhere.

      Liked by 2 people

  10. Brian Ference
    @BrianFerence1
    MAIL IN BALLOT FRAUD
    Last night at a group meeting one of the members gave me a ballot sent to her home. They purchased the home 10 years ago from the individual and stated that the person they purchased it from noted on the ballot is a Canadian citizen not US.

    This seems to imply that the wonderful people in our elections organization are simply sending ballots to owners or past owners of record versus valid, registered voters, whether they are legal citizens, or not.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. Congressman Byron Donalds
    @RepDonaldsPress
    Going forward, I believe we must have a process where EVERY MEMBER has a seat at the table.

    I’m going to talk about my ideas, my vision & my game plan to achieve them.

    At the end of the day, we must get back to work & secure the border.

    It’s up to House Republicans to LEAD!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. pfizer and moderna can now be sued

    Steve Kirsch
    @stkirsch
    15h • 11 tweets • 3 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
    Breaking: You can now sue the mRNA COVID vaccine manufacturers for damages and the FDA is required to take the COVID vaccines off the market. Why? Adulteration. The plasmid bioactive contaminant sequences were NOT pointed out to the regulatory authorities. It’s considered adulteration. I just got off the phone with Professor Byram Bridle and Dr. Robert Malone on this.
    Michigan remdesivir case is very important precedent here proving liability shield falls when there is undisclosed contamination of active ingredients.
    I’m doing a video interview with Byram and with Kevin tomorrow on this topic.
    The FDA is now at a crossroads. Either they admit that they knew about the plasma contamination, and failed to disclose that to the public and to the outside committees, or they can claim that they didn’t know about it in which case Pfizer is liable. But we have the Pfizer documents that were given to the FDA so we know what the FDA got. And I seriously doubt there’s any disclosure of SV40 contamination. That means we have an adulterated vaccine and the FDA has to remove it from the market until the adulteration is fixed. If the FDA doesn’t do that, they should face criminal prosecution for endangering the public, and not following the law.
    Here’s the Michigan story for those who asked showing when there is contamination, there is no immunity. It makes sense. Otherwise, they can add arsenic into the vaccines and not be liable.
    Michigan judge denies drug manufacturer’s immunity in case of contaminated COVID-19 medication
    The judge ruled that Congress did not plan to extend the PREP Act immunity to a drug that substantially deviated from FDA approval and included glass particles.
    https://wwmt.com/news/local/michigan-judge-denies-drug-manufacturers-immunity-in-case-of-contaminated-covid-19-medication
    Link to the Michigan case:
    Unroll available on Thread Reader

    https://x.com/stkirsch/status/1715917684792344873?s=20

    All the COVID production vials are contaminated AFAIK. From both Moderna and Pfizer.
    I just message Dr. Naomi Wolf re: Pfizer docs. She wasn’t aware of any mention of SV40 in the Pfizer docs they gave the FDA (but she will check further).

    So Pfizer has a VERY BIG problem.
    I just got off the phone with attorney Warner Mendenhall. He confirmed I wrote is accurate and the litigation floodgates are now open.

    Here is a list of 90 lawyers that you can contact if you want to sue the vaccine manufacturers: airtable.com/appGIUGnttjzsc…
    Airtable | Everyone’s app platform
    Airtable is a low-code platform for building collaborative apps. Customize your workflow, collaborate, and achieve ambitious outcomes. Get started for free.
    https://airtable.com/appGIUGnttjzscdJF/shrAqtpTOTkoOgrbx/tblfVuObLpclbtF0W
    The SV40 promoter is found in all the vials and it was in the gene sequence that was provided to the regulators. There is no mistake. The problem was that neither drug company ever pointed it out to the regulators. It’s an unapproved contaminant that doesn’t meet the standards set. So the regulators are off the hook. But if the regulators don’t take action, then they dig themselves into a very deep hole. The law requires the FDA to stop the vaccine.
    Robert Malone @RWMaloneMD just messaged me: “Yes I think that this DNA adulteration issue could be the wedge we have been looking for. Use of a plasmid with SV40 sequences as the template for manufacturing the pseudo-mRNA is, at a minimum, reckless and I can see no logical justification”

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1715820838564593745.html

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Look for pharma to use all their resources to thwart any such suit. Drag it out, then drag it out some more. Their deep pockets are their best advantage.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Tee-hee! Also @ RedState:

      From 2022, when she and her BF went to FL mask-free and she was criticized about it: …..If Republicans are mad they can’t date me they can just say that instead of projecting their sexual frustrations onto my boyfriend’s feet,” she tweeted, adding ‘Ya creepy weirdos.’ She added, ‘It’s starting to get old ignoring the very obvious, strange, and deranged sexual frustrations that underpin the Republican fixation on me, women,& LGBT+ people in general. These people clearly need therapy, won’t do it, and use politics as their outlet instead. It’s really weird.’
      ——————
      So, using my best AOC logic Artificial Intelligence program, I was able to determine that because there are over five people now officially running for Speaker of the House and AOC decided to focus on Byron Donalds in this tweet, maybe she wants to date him. Now, don’t quote me as being 100 percent correct on this because anything using artificial intelligence based on AOC is prone to make mistakes like AOC — which is right around 100 percent just like AOC.

      I do not want to nip young love in the bud, but Representative Byron Donalds has been happily married since 2003 and lives in the sane state of Florida. Both of those things should be like garlic and sunlight to a New York-based social media vampire like AOC. I can predict though, with 100 percent certainty, that Elon Musk is probably going to be crushed if this turns out to be true. But it’s possible that because Donalds is married, Musk still has a shot.”

      https://redstate.com/tladuke/2023/10/21/aoc-has-some-thoughts-on-who-should-run-for-speaker-and-she-might-be-crushing-n2165396

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Morning, Pat! Interesting – I saw something about these birds on a NatGeo show once; also, these birds that drink cattle blood:

    From Wiki: “Both the English and scientific names arise from their habit of perching on large mammals (both wild and domesticated) such as cattle, zebras, impalas, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, and giraffes, eating ticks, small insects, botfly larvae, and other parasites, as well as the animals’ blood. The behaviour of oxpeckers towards large mammals was thought to be exclusively mutual, though recent research suggests the relationship can be parasitic in nature as well.[2]”

    No sign of GT the rest of the day yesterday, and he wasn’t there when I got up at 5:00 this morning. I turned on the patio light and a few minutes ago, he showed up – I only knew he was there because Jake started hissing at the door. I took his dish outside and he was back to affectionate again, purring and arching his back when I pet him. He finished eating and I went out to see if I could coax him back over to me – nope! Back to the cold-shoulder – hunkered down on the lower level, while I sat down on the upper level. Not interested! As soon as I came back inside, he went back to eating. Maybe I’ll name him Wishy-Washy! SMH

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Oooh! I think that’s the best suggestion yet! That’s EXACTLY what he’s doing!!! You nailed it, my friend! Teaser it shall be!

        Liked by 1 person

          1. As I was telling M’s, why did I NOT think of that myself?? It is soooo fucking obvious!!! Should have been one of the first that came to mind! Epitome of not seeing the forest for the trees!!!

            Liked by 1 person

  16. so, i asked the doc about the statin/fasting blood sugar connection and he said yup it’s a thing. and we discussed my situation but i wanted to talk about my mom. she’s been on statins for years. and now they are worrying her about being diabetic. i took my test kit and she was not at all–just her fasting numbers were a little high. he asked her age and when i told him, he said i tell my patients who are 80 or older, it’s their choice to remain on statins at that point. and most do more out of habit than necessity.

    then we discussed the preregistration questions they now require you to fill out. he said when covid hit and hospital systems were getting hit hard and NEEDED MONEY, MEDICARE offered them cash if the systems included their set of questions. I asked–so you don’t look at them? he said no. so MEDICARE has access to these records and he nodded and asked why–I am not on medicare. he said they’re gov’t and see everything anyway. (which explains the “are there guns in your home? question)

    then he said, those “suggestions” you get in your email from the “hospital” about getting a mammogram or it’s time for a colonoscopy? those are from MEDICARE. they want you to have those screenings now so things can be found and paid for BEFORE you get on medicare.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. So presumably all is well with you…? I have only a vague idea that there is a problem with statins (I don’t even know what they really are) or much about diabetes except some general knowledge. My adopted Grandfather who lived in IL was diabetic and had lost both legs. I also supervised a shipping clerk at the shoe repair company who was diabetic and had issues with his feet. Beyond that, it’s all kind of confusing to me. But as for your Mom, could it be a toss-up: possible diabetes or the sudden change to her overall system after long-term use?

      Basically, the Hippocratic Oath and our right to medical privacy went out the door once and for all (after creeping that way with paper records) with the change to electronic records. The stage for that was set with Obamacare.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. we started talking about the statins because I take a low dose and it concerned me. but my mom has never had a sugar problem, but she has had high blood pressure all her life. now that she’s over 80, they are worrying her that she might be diabetic. she’s not. after she eats, her blood sugar drops to below the expected range–it’s just her fasting sugars. which made me ask MY doc about her since she’s on statins for ages. (statins treat blood pressure and they’ve recently been linked to higher fasting blood sugars.)
        I exercise a lot –i walk about 4-4.5 miles a day so i eat whatever i want. when i told my doc i don’t check my blood sugars anymore because i feel so normal–he said good! that’s where i want you to be.
        everything is stable and the doc is happy–so I’m happy.

        Liked by 1 person

  19. “Telehealth assisted suicide program extended through 2024; Biden’s DEA accused of pursuing ‘dangerous practice’”
    By WND News Services
    By Cassy Fiano-Chesser, Live Action News
    Published October 21, 2023 at 1:29pm

    EXCERPT: “The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has extended temporary rules allowing controlled medications to be prescribed through telehealth — allowing people to access assisted suicide without seeing a doctor in person.

    CNN reported on the new development earlier this month. “The DEA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced May 9 that the temporary rules would be extended through November 11, while the DEA and HHS considered the public comments and any revisions to the proposals — buying more time for telehealth patients who might have otherwise experienced a disruption in care,” the article explained. “Now, after holding two days of public listening sessions on the rules in September, the DEA and HHS have further extended the flexibilities through December 31, 2024.”

    Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition said, “This means that the dangerous practise of approving assisted suicide by telehealth will continue in states that permit assisted suicide until December 31, 2024.”

    https://www.wnd.com/2023/10/dangerous-telehealth-assisted-suicide-program-extended-2024/

    Liked by 1 person

        1. Oooh…delish!!! And watch them run!!! Or, as those marchers years ago shouted against the cops in TX: “Fry like bacon!” Works for me in this case!!!

          Liked by 1 person

  31. not many details about this guy arrested for derailing a train or his motive…but he’s in his 40’s and lives with mommy–who incidentally says he’s not a bad boy…

    entire article

    Just a few months ago, the news was inundated with story after story of trains derailing here in the U.S.

    It got to the point where many started coming up with some pretty out-there conspiracy theories to explain this constant string of train crashes, and a new arrest of a man in Ohio is only going to fan the flames of discussion.

    Earlier this month, the FBI arrested Joseph Findley, 43, on federal terrorist charges for allegedly jamming metal into tracks and rail lines in order to derail these trains.

    From Fox News:

    CSX train employees found metal materials jammed into the tracks and rail switches of an Ohio train line for months after a near-catastrophic derailment in August, according to court documents.

    During a test run for a CSX employee appreciation day, a train hit an obstruction on the track and temporarily derailed before the wheels dropped back into place.

    The seemingly mysterious accident quickly became a concerning issue when employees continued to find more “purposefully placed” materials along the tracks, which matched methods taught by international terrorist groups to make homemade derail devices, court documents say.

    The investigation led to Cleveland man Joseph Findley, 43, who was arrested and charged with terrorist attacks against railroad carriers.

    Findley lives with his parents, who could not be reached by Fox News Digital. His mother told Fox 8, though, that her son is not a terrorist.

    “He’s never been a bad kid, never, he was always good. He’s no terrorist, somebody’s making that up,” his mom told the local news outlet, which asked what would explain his alleged actions.

    “Being depressed, because he lost his job, he lost his girlfriend, but he never did anything like that,” she said. “They’re nuts, he’s not a terrorist. I think they all exaggerated it because he never did anything bad.”

    The Amtrak train along that line typically carries between 180 and 200 passengers twice per day, according to court documents.

    This is certainly an interesting development and one that will definitely have a lot of folks talking, especially those who are already suspicious of our government and intelligence community.

    https://washingtonengager.com/2023/10/bombshell-arrest-train-derailed

    Liked by 1 person

  32. found this joke in the comment section of an article

    Snakeeater 2 hours ago

    A Mexican, an Arab, and an Arizona girl are in the same bar.

    When the Mexican finishes his beer, he throws his glass in the air, pulls out his pistol, and shoots the glass to pieces. He says, ‘In Mexico, our glasses are so cheap we don’t need to drink with the same one twice.’

    The Arab, obviously impressed by this, drinks non-alcohol beer (cuz he’s a Muslim), throws it into the air, pulls out his AK-47, and shoots the glass to pieces. He says, ‘In the Arab World, we have so much sand to make glasses that we don’t need to drink with the same one twice either.’

    The Arizona girl, cool as a cucumber, picks up her beer, downs it in one gulp, throws the glass into the air, whips out her 45, and shoots the Mexican and the Arab. Catching her glass, setting it on the bar, and calling for a refill, she says, ‘In Arizona, we have so many illegal aliens that we don’t have to drink with the same ones twice.’

    Liked by 1 person

  33. I record the documentary show Modern Marvels….

    EXCERPT: “Illustrator Nikita Golubev (aka ProBoyNick) is transforming Moscow, one dirty car at a time. The multifaceted artist approaches parked cars covered in filth and turns them into works of art. He sees layers of dust and dirt as perfect pigments for bringing the images hidden within to life. He shifts the mud and soot on vehicles into extraordinary portraits of animals and scenes of nature. Ultimately, what’s one man’s dirty car is this artist’s canvas.

    Though Golubev’s canvas may be unconventional, it appears to be a welcome form of public art. His creative eye has allowed him to unearth ephemeral art from the least likely of places. In fact, this gifted street artist’s work is so impressive that the owners of these once-dirty cars may never want to wash them again.

    Golubev’s ongoing dirty car art escapades have unexpectedly found a temporary, beautifying solution to the grit and grime of his city. Though he isn’t the first to “paint” with dust and debris, he’s inspiring a new generation of street artists in his community to follow suit….”




    Liked by 1 person

  40. this just stinks!
    our leaves are turning gorgeous colors right now and the frickin wind is so bad, the leaves are scattering everywhere! by the time it’s gonna be nice enough to get some pics, they’ll all be on the ground.

    Liked by 1 person

  43. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

    Like

  49. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aimé_Félix_Tschiffely

    A. F. Tschiffely (as he was better known) wrote a number of books, most famously Tschiffely’s Ride[1] (1933) in which he recounts his solo journey on horseback from Argentina to Washington D.C.. Tschiffely was a household name in the United States during the 1930s, meeting with President Calvin Coolidge, appearing in National Geographic Magazine and earning a living from his popular book sales.

    Wow I need to read this book

    Liked by 1 person

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