News Life

Charms of small males may collapse a Darwin’s finch species

Mating rules may be changing for one of the storied Galápagos birds

TELL DARWIN Crossing species lines and mating with the small tree finch (yearling shown) may be the undoing of a second species of Darwin’s finches in the Galápagos Islands.

Frank Sulloway

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

The lure of little guys of the wrong species — plus an invasion of flies — may drive one of Darwin’s finch species toward extinction.