Gray Warbler-Finch - BirdForum Opus

Subspecies C. f. ridgwayi
Photo by Momo
Isla Floreana, Galapagos, Ecuador, March 2006

Certhidea fusca

Identification

10 cm
Notice the thin, warbler-like bill.
Colors are very variable within this species, with grey hues dominating on some of the drier areas in which it lives, while richer yellow and green colors dominate on some of the larger islands where it lives in humid environments.

Similar Species

Green Warbler-Finch is on average brighter but in some areas can be just as grey. The male of Green WF may develop a reddish or orange throat patch that can be very obvious, and which is never seen in Gray Warbler Finch. These two species do not overlap in range.

Distribution

Endemic to the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador).
They are found on Pinta, Marchena, Darwin, Wolf, Genovesa, Santa Fe, San Cristobal, Española, and Floreana (notice that each island has multiple names, this account follows the SACC proposal¹.

Subspecies C. f. mentalis, a bird with more yellow
Photo by Njlarsen
Isla Genovesa, Galapagos, Ecuador, August 2015

Taxonomy

Has been considered conspecific with Green Warbler-Finch in the past.

Subspecies

Seven subspecies are recognized ^[2]:

C. f. becki:

Galapagos Islands (Darwin and Wolf Island)

C. f. mentalis:

Galapagos Islands (Genovesa Island)

C. f. fusca:

Galapagos Islands (Pinta and Marchena Islands)

C. f. luteola:

Galapagos Islands (San Cristobal Island)

C. f. bifasciata:

Galapagos Islands (Santa Fé Island)

C. f. cinerascens:

Galapagos Islands (Española Island)

C. f. ridgwayi:

Galapagos Islands (Floreana Island)

Habitat

Prefers dry areas and is mostly found in smaller, lower islands.

Behaviour

Diet

Their main diet consists of insects.

References

SACC proposal to split Warbler Finch
Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved May 2014)

List of references

Recommended Citation

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Gray Warbler-Finch. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 24 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Gray_Warbler-Finch

External Links

Search for photos of Gray Warbler-Finch in the gallery