Species · Bahía Gardner & Punta Suárez
The Española Mockingbird (Mimus macdonaldi): The Bird With No Fear
An endemic mockingbird that walks up to visitors — and one of the birds that inspired Darwin's ideas.
- Scientific name
- Mimus macdonaldi
- Endemic
- Española only
- IUCN status
- Vulnerable
Only on Española
The Española (or Hood) mockingbird lives only on Española and the nearby islet of Gardner. It is larger than other Galápagos mockingbirds and has a long, curved bill. Darwin noticed that mockingbirds differed from island to island — an observation that helped shape his theory of evolution by natural selection.
Curious behaviour
It is famously bold: it walks up to visitors and inspects bags and bottles, looking for fresh water on this dry island. It feeds on insects, eggs, carrion and even drinks from sea lion wounds. Please never give them water or food.