Nesomimus spp.                  Mimidae   

Distribution: Galápagos Islands. There are four species with no overlapping ranges.

Habitat: Arid zone.

Appearance:  Only thrush-sized, long-tailed, grey and brown streaked land bird.

Diet: Omnivorous and predatory compared to mainland relatives.  They eat young finches, lava lizards, centipeds, carrion and seabird eggs.

Reproduction:  They build their nests in trees and cacti.  About two or three females in each group breed at a time. Cooperative breeder on most islands: non-breeders act as helpers at nests in their group’s territory, and some breeders help raise nestlings in nests other than their own.

Remarks: It will steal any food left by humans unattended and also likes liquids using their large cured bill.

Evolution: It was the mockingbirds-not the finches that intrigued Darwin.  He found three different species on four different islands with each island home to just one species.  Since they were all closely related, he wondered if all were from a common ancestor. It was this line of thinking that led to his theory of evolution.

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