Natural History Wanderings

The New York Times writes about the Vampire Finch found in the Galápagos

For half the year, a little brown bird on the northernmost islands of the Galápagos uses its wickedly sharp beak to pick at seeds, nectar and insects. But when the climate dries out, it drinks blood.

Yes, there is such a thing as a vampire finch.

Yes, it is what it sounds like.

Galápagos finches have been used since Darwin’s time to illustrate evolution in action. Even among them, Geospiza septentrionalis is an outlier, one of the few birds in the world to intentionally draw and drink blood.

Read full story and see photos at  The Vampire Birds of the Galápagos Have Fascinating Inner Lives – The New York Times