Floreana Mockingbird

The Floreana mockingbird is endemic to the Galapagos Islands and played a major role in Darwin’s development of the theory of evolution. Protection goes beyond preserving this species; it represents the vision of a sustainable Floreana community thriving with nature. The birds live among the arid scrubland of Champion Islet and Gardner-by-Floreana Islet in the Galapagos Islands. The Opuntia prickly pear cactus is vital to the Floreana mockingbird’s survival. They use it for nesting and food. In 2018, the Floreana mockingbird was listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The main threats facing Floreana mockingbirds are invasive predators and habitat degradation.
If awarded $1 million from the Indianapolis Zoo’s Saving Species Challenge, conservationists would take the following steps:
Expand range from 1% to potentially 100% of historic range
Leverage removal of invasive species by reintroducing Floreana mockingbird to native island home
Restore degraded habitat through revegetation
Maintain current and future habitat free of invasive species
Monitor reproduction and recruitment to track population growth and inform similar restoration efforts
You can learn more about Floreana mockingbirds from Island Conservation. www.islandconservation.org
The winner of the Indianapolis Zoo’s Saving Species Challenge will be announced later this year. Bookmark www.ProtectSpecies.com for updates.