Galapagos Islands News

Birdwatchers come from all over the world to visit the Galapagos Islands, where there are hundreds of bird species to be seen. Many of them are endemic, so the Galapagos is the only place in the world to see them! The Galapagos bird species follow very particular life cycles of mating, nesting and feeding, and it's important to many island visitors to come at the right time to see the birds they're most interested in. To name a couple species only, the Frigatebirds only inflate their bright red throat sac during the mating months, and anyone who comes between January and March might miss the Waved Albatross entirely! Here is a handy guide to some of the most sought-after birds, by month.

January:

• Land birds, such as finches and warblers, begin to nest.
• Good time to see mockingbird and finch mating rituals.
• Hawks feast on young marine iguanas on Fernandina.

February:

• Flamingos begin nesting.
• Penguins head away from central islands to the cooler waters of Isabela and Fernandina.
• Pintail Ducks begin breeding season.
• Nazca Booby nesting season ends.
• Galapagos Doves nesting.

March:

• On San Cristobal and Genovesa, Frigatebirds begin their mating season and males inflate their dazzling red throat sacs.
• Waved Albatrosses begin returning to Española for the mating season.
• Penguins common on Isabela and Fernandina.
• Most migratory shore birds gone by the end of the month.
• Sometimes, hawk chicks are visible in nests.

April:

• Courtship dances of Waved Albatrosses on Española.
• Blue-footed Boobys are in mating season, giving visitors the change to see them do their fancy dance.
• Frigatebird mating season is in full swing.
• Frigatebird pouches visible on Genovesa.

May:

• Waved Albatrosses begin laying eggs.
• Storm Petrels begin nesting season.
• Booby mating season continues.
• Frigatebirds begin laying eggs.

June:

• Many migrating birds visit Galapagos.
• Short-eared Owls on Genovesa begin nesting season.
• Boobys nest and lay eggs.
• A good month to see Frigatebird pouches on North Seymour.

July:

• Flightless Cormorants court and nest on Fernandina.
• American Oystercatchers nest on Santiago.
• Booby and Frigatebird eggs begin hatching.
• Good time to see migratory birds.

August:

• Flamingos begin mating rituals.
• Frigatebird and Booby eggs still hatching on North Seymour.
• Migratory shorebirds common.
• Nazca Boobys nest.
• Galapagos Hawks begin courtship.
• Galapagos Penguins start moving away from Isabela and Fernandina into central islands like Bartolomé.
• Swallow-tailed gulls nesting on Genovesa.
• A good month to see Red-Footed Boobys on Genovesa, but there are relatively few Frigatebirds there.

September:

• Galapagos Penguins begin mating in central islands.
• Most sea birds nesting, making this a good time to see them.

October:

• Blue-footed Booby chicks common at many sites.
• Lava Herons start nesting.

November:

• Brown Noddy breeding season.
• Storm Petrels nesting for second time.
• Nazca Booby chicks are common.

December:

• Waved Albatross chicks big enough to fly: Albatrosses leave Española until March.
• Boobys uncommon, as they're mostly fishing.