Darwin's famous finches are under threat from these parasitic flies. But new research shows some have a better chance of survival than others.
A small ground finch builds a nest on Santa Cruz Island, in the Galápagos. Invasive avian vampire flies lay their eggs in the nests so the larvae can feed on the blood of finch chicks.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
Death by exsanguination. “Not a great way to go,” says Knutie, who notes that even the chicks who survive can bear deformed nostrils for the rest of their lives. Not only does this make it difficult for the birds to breathe, but it can interfere with their ability to sing and find mates. “So, it's not surprising that this is really a top conservation concern in the Galápagos Islands,” says Knutie.
With all of this in mind, Knutie wanted to look at her birds’ diets as a potential factor in surviving the blood-sucking fly plague. After all, one of the benefits for animals living in urban areas is access to human leftovers, scraps, and even supplemental food sources, such as birdfeeders. “It was shocking how different these urban nestlings were in terms of gene expression compared to the non-urban birds,” says Knutie.Just four percent of the Galápagos Islands are inhabited by humans, so they remain far from urbanized. And to be clear, even though the urban environment appears to help Darwin’s finches in the fight against avian vampire flies, no one is suggesting we pave over the Galápagos to save the birds.
“There’s not a lot of shade in the natural areas,” she says. “And it is so hot. There’s direct sun all day.”
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