Galapagos Cruises and the Birds of the Galapagos Islands

Near the coast of Ecuador, about 1000 km away, are the Galapagos Islands. They are a group of remote and pure spots that are perfect for nature lovers. It isn’t just for the beautiful views and naturist surroundings, many Galapagos island tours can highlight these views. This is a great place to see the most fascinating group of wildlife by way of Galapagos travel. Many say that the animals are as free as the people to explore and interact with nature. The many freedoms that the animals have are also somewhat limited because many on the island are endangered. The general public can explore by way of Galapagos island trips, but they also are required to respect the boundaries and legal restraints that are required to keep the islands pure and undisturbed, provide for future exploration. It is a great place where nature lovers can enjoy the scenery and the wildlife amidst the surrounding volcanic landscape.

Many of the indigenous species that live on the island are made up of over 58 species of birds that are found there. Among them are 28 common Galapagos birds. 30 of which migrate each year and visit the different islands at various times each year. Most of which can fly around untouched in a natural habitat, while bird watchers observe them. There often are many tours that can provide a keen insight and observation of over 40 species in the Galapagos Island. The many different types are described below with the 1st of which belong to the sea, then the wetlands, then the land.

Among the many variety of bird species, there is one which is most spectacular, the Waved Albatross. This is one of the largest birds in the archipelago. Its wingspan is approximately 2.4 meters and while it has many characteristics that are fascinating, their courtship is one of the most interesting to many avid birdwatchers.

Another spectacular type of bird found in Galapagos travels is the Galapagos penguins; they are the only equatorial penguins in the world. The deep-sea divers that are snorkeling near the Islas Isabel & Fernandina say that you can see the penguins swimming by.

Many of the largest birds are found in the wetlands like the largest heron in Galapagos. This bird can be seen on almost all of the islands. Any of the wildlife can be found on the Galapagos island trips. The lava heron is endemic of Galapagos and lives along the shorelines. Some of the other more common wetland birds are the Flamingoes, American oystercatchers, stilts, and sandpipers

Also, of all of the birds that are found on land are Darwin’s finches which make up approximately 13 species that helped Darwin to formulate his infamous Darwin’s theory of evolution. Even with that infamy the many other land birds are the Galapagos hawk is fearless, found in Galapagos, and is also fearless, but now is an endangered species. The last but not all encompassing of the land birds is the barn owl, the dark-billed cuckoo, and the Galapagos mockingbirds. These are some but not all of the well known’s for Galapagos’ land birds but many are currently in the wild and have yet to be discovered. The Galapagos island trips are one way to discover these.

Thomas H. Lindblom is a freelance journalist that is always lookig for interesting topics to write about. Biking and climbing Ecuador are such great activities that any serious tourist should try when visiting this marvelous country. There is also a wide variety of Galapagos cruises you may take, so you will certainly have fun during your travesy.