Previously included in the genus Camarhynchus, but Lamichhaney et al. (2015) show that this genus is embedded in Geospiza. Uniform brownish back. Brownish crown slightly speckled with blackish. Eyebrow, cheeks, and ventral mostly ochre. Ventral generally uniform or slightly streaked. No strong contrast between dorsal and ventral, it appears mostly uniform at first glance. Primaries and secondaries blackish with brownish edges. Short tail feathers. Bill variable, conical or curved, small or not so much. It has two subspecies: in the subspecies G. p. parvula adult males acquire a blackish cap, while in the subspecies G. p. salvini they do not acquire a blackish cap, have a more pronounced pectoral, and are noticeably larger in body and bill size. In my personal opinion, the subspecies G. p. salvini may be responsible for the numerous confusions in supposed records of the Large Tree Finch (Geospiza psittacula) in San Cristóbal, where its presence has not been confirmed.

The subspecies G. p. salvini was not evaluated in the lineage work (Lamichhaney et al., 2015) to compare differences with the nominal subspecies. They have morphological differences, coloration differences, and non-overlapping distribution (the only subspecies found in San Cristóbal). Based on a recording I made of an individual with a strong territorial repertoire, there could be a difference in vocalizations from the nominal subspecies. Interestingly, I could not find any recordings of vocalizations from this subspecies available online in any source, so I was unable to make comparisons, and the differences with the vocalizations of the nominal subspecies are notable.

Geographic Distribution: Galápagos Islands excluding Darwin, Wolf, Pinta, Marchena, Genovesa, and Española (BirdLife International, 2023). Absent from Rábida, Pinta, and Santa Fé in recent censuses (2017-18) (Kleindorfer et al., 2022). Subspecies G. p. salvini on San Cristóbal, and G. p. parvula on all other mentioned islands (Jaramillo and Christie, 2020b).

Description extracted from: La Grotteria (2023).

REFERENCES

La Grotteria, J. 2023. Identificación, comentarios y registros personales de pinzones de Darwin. Referencia Orientativa.

 See related literature