About Camarhynchus parvulus (Gould, 1837)
The small tree finch (Camarhynchus parvulus) is a bird species in the Darwin's finch group of the tanager family Thraupidae. It has a grasping beak with curved culmens. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. During the non-breeding season, this species is known to form large groups alongside small ground-finches. It is endemic to the Galapagos islands, and its conservation status is currently listed as Least Concern. However, bird counts conducted since 1997 have recorded a continuous decline in small tree finch populations in the Scalesia and agricultural zones of Santa Cruz island, where the species is most abundant. Small tree finch population counts have stayed stable in Santa Cruz's transition zone, where the species is also quite abundant, as well as in the less frequented dry and fern zones of the island. A recent study found that this species is particularly impacted by larvae of the parasitic avian vampire fly, Philornis downsi. The small tree finch occurs on all main Galapagos islands except Española, Genovesa, Marchena, Darwin, and Wolf. It was also found to be absent during the 2017–2018 most recent census on Rábida, Pinta, and Santa Fé islands.
