The Little Vermilion Flycatcher, endemic to the Gal?pagos Islands, is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN (2022). Historically these little birds have struggled to produce fledglings in the island of Santa Cruz due to a combination of restricted access to their food sources because of the dense walls of invasive blackberry, and chick mortality caused by the Avian Vampire Fly and rats. 

Twenty Galapagos bird species, including 12 species of Darwin?s finches, are under threat from a parasitic fly, Philornis downsi. This fly was accidentally introduced to Galapagos and is seriously affecting the survivorship of several Galapagos birds including the critically endangered Mangrove Finch. Flies are adept at locating bird nests to lay their eggs. Once larvae hatch they feed on the blood of hatchlings, sometimes causing all of the chicks in a nest to die.

In order to reduce the impact of Philornis downsi on birds, CDF and the Galapagos National Park Directorate are overseeing a multi-institutional collaborative effort (now up to 22 institutions from ten countries) that is investigating the biology and ecology of this little-known fly, while simultaneously conducting research to find effective and environmentally friendly control methods.

Find our more about our project here

Credits:

Little vermilion flycatcher adult feeding its chick. Photo: Agust?n Guti?rrez, CDF.

Little vermilion flycatcher adult. Photo: Sam Rowley