Galapagos Species Checklist

Mimus melanotis Gould, 1837

Cucuve de San Cristóbal, San Cristóbal Mockingbird

San Cristóbal Mockingbird, San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos. Photo: CDF Archive.
San Cristóbal Mockingbird, San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos. Photo: CDF Archive.

The smallest mockingbird species (53 gr males, 48 gr females).

Threats Possible threats are diseases and predation by rats and cats.. Impact of Philornis downsi unknown.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Chordata

Class
Aves

Order
Passeriformes

Family
Mimidae

Genus
Mimus

Species
melanotis

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Nesomimus melanotis Gould, 1837 (Integrated Taxonomic Information System, 2021)

Taxon origin: Endemic

Status

Vulnerable

Ecology

Preference for an altitude zone in Galapagos: Dry zone - humid zone

Habitat preferences: Occupies the whole range of habitats from the coast to the highlands but some woodlands are not used.

Feeding type: Polyphagous

Arthropods, fruits, peck on iguanas for ticks

Feeding preferences: Feeding from arthropods from the ground, centipedes, crabs, lizards, but also observed swallowing a wide variety af fleshy fruits. Seeds in feces make it a possible disperser of Galápagos as well as introduced plants. They occasionally peck on iguanas for ticks.

Trophic role: Omnivorous

Reproduction mode: Exclusively sexual

Reproductive biology: Does not exhibit cooperative breeding. Terr itories are occupied by a single pair, occasionally with another adult.

Distribution origin: In common with all other Mimus, this species is closely related to species from North America and the Caribbean, rather than species from South America, indicating long distance dispersal.

Distribution

Distribution: Present on San Cristobal Island. An estimated 5000 to 8000 individuals on all the islands but no data available on trends.

References

  • Wiedenfeld, D.A. (2006) Aves, the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Check List 2006 2(2): 1-27.
  • Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G. Milstead, B., Márquez, C., Zabala, J., Buitrón, P., Llerena, A., et al. (2007) Galapagos vertebrates: endangered status and conservation actions. Galapagos Report 2006–2007. Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, p. 104–110.
  • Harris, M.P. (1973) The Galápagos avifauna. Condor 75(3): 265-278.
  • Salvin, O. (1876) On the avifauna of the Galápagos Archipelago. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 9: 447-510.
  • Arbogast, B.S. Drovetski, S.V., Curry, R.L., Boag, P.T. & Seutin, G.l (2006) The origin and diversification of Galápagos mockingbirds. Evolution 60: 370-382.
  • Sundevall, C.J. (1871) On birds from the Galápagos Islands. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1871: 124-129.
  • Swarth, H.S. (1931) The Avifauna of the Galapagos Islands. Occ. Pap. Calif. Acad. Sci. 18: 1-299.
  • Wiedenfeld, D.A. Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G. (2008) Critical problems for bird conservation in the Galapagos Island. Cotinga 29: 22-27.
  • Curry, R.L. (1989) Geographic variation in social organization of Galapagos (Ecuador) Mockingbirds: ecological correlates of group territoriality and cooperative breeding. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 25:147-160.
  • Hoeck, P. Bollmer, J., Parker, P. & Keller, L. (2010) Differentiation with drift: a spatio-temporal genetic analysis of Galápagos mockingbird populations (Mimus spp.). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 365:1127-1138.
  • Nietlisbach, P. Wandeler, P., Parker, P., Grant, P., Grant, B., Keller, L. & Hoeck, P. (2013) Hybrid ancestry of an island subspecies of Galápagos mockingbird explains discordant gene trees. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 69:581-592.
  • IUCN (2015) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015-4. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 November 2015.
  • Freile, J.F. Santander, T., Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G., Carrasco, L., Cisneros-Heredia, D., Guevara, E., Sánchez-Nivicela, M., Tinoco, B. (2019) Lista Roja de las aves del Ecuador Quito, Ecuador. 97 pp.
  • Integrated Taxonomic Information System (2021) Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). Www.itis.gov

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