More Wings in the Sky: Endangered Bird Makes a Comeback

The tiny Darwin’s flycatcher bird – native to the Galápagos Islands – is returning after being listed as a vulnerable species.

“These 12 new birds constitute a veritable success since initiating the program in 2018 and finally getting results,” says the reserve’s director, Danny Reuda. Each chick provides a “new hope to save the species,” he adds.

Recently, six protected plots of land were established and cleared of invasive species for the Darwin flycatchers. The species only has 15 breeding pairs, so when 12 chicks hatched this year alone, conservationists were thrilled to announce that their efforts are working. The conservation project is being led partly by the Charles Darwin Foundation, the scientist after which this tiny species of bird were named.