Feeding Habits and Morphological Variation in Cocos Finches

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Abstract
Twenty Cocos finches [Pinaroloxias inornata] were captured, measured and released. The foraging habits of a sample of these birds were classified and compared with those of some Darwin''s finches [Geospiza fortis, G. difficilis, G. fuliginosa] from the Galapagos. As predicted from the relative absence of competitors, the Cocos finch is generalized in its foraging habits, but structural differences in the habitat and differences in the nature of available foods complicate comparisons with both the Galapagos and the Central American mainland. Unlike some Galapagos finches, the Cocos finch shows little morphological variation in beak characters. This may be due to the different spectrum of available foods on Cocos [Pacific Ocean] or may be a consequence of higher temporal and spatial heterogeneity in the Galapagos environment.

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