Galapagos – Birds of Prey

Among the most striking land birds is the Galápagos buzzard, the only bird of prey in the archipelago. It lives in practically all vegetation zones and is somewhat similar to the buzzard. Its prey are pigeons, finches, rats, lizards, snakes, as well as small iguanas. The population of the Galápagos buzzard is estimated at 130 pairs. It feeds on insects, small birds, lizards and carrion.

Flight image of the Galapagos buzzard. The female mates with several males, who participate together in the rearing of the young. The female buzzard usually hatches 2 – 3 eggs in tree nests.

Even though breeding pairs can be observed all year round, the real peak of the reproductive period is reached between May and July. Since the buzzard shows no fear of humans at all, it can often be found right next to the tourist paths – most often on Santa Fé, Santiago, Española, Isabela and Fernandina.

However, it was almost completely eradicated on the inhabited islands, most commonly on Santa Fé, Santiago, Española, Isabela and Fernandina. Even though the buzzards could easily reach all islands due to their high flight ability, the slightly more than 200 breeding pairs are strangely only found on ten islands.