Cocos Island finch

Pinaroloxias inornata

Photo by Kevin Easley (Costa Rica Gateway)

Common name:

Cocos Island finch (en); tentilhão-da-Ilha-do-Coco (pt); spizin de Cocos (fr); pinzón de la Isla del Coco (es); Kokosfink (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Emberizidae

Range:

It is endemic to Cocos Island, which is approximately 580 km south of Costa Rica.

Size:

The Cocos island finch is 12 cm long. They have a wingspan of 18 cm and weigh 12-16 g.

Habitat:

It occupies every available habitat on the island, including Hibiscus thickets along the coast, woodland, open country and closed-canopy forest. It is also common in disturbed vegetation.

Diet:

Cocos Island finches have a varied diet including insects, crustaceans, nectar, fruits, seeds, small molluscs, and perhaps even small lizards. Finches forage with a wide variety of behaviors to acquire these foods.

Breeding:

Nesting occurs throughout the year, but is mostly concentrated in January-May. The spherical nest is built at the end of a tree branch. The standard clutch is composed of 2 brown-spotted white eggs which are incubated for 12 days.

Conservation:

IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)

Although this species is locally abundant and is presently not under direct threat by any external factors, their small and localized range makes the Cocos Island finch vulnerable to catastrophic events, which justifies its threat status.