Bolivia: Salar Uyuni – Finches on Isla Incahuasi

While Isla Incahuasi is a small cactus-covered island in the middle of the less sea of white salt – there are animals and birds here. We saw Greenish Yellow Finches at the edges of the island and Black Hooded Sierra Finches in the middle of the island, feeding on cactus nectar. Both finches are residents of High Andes, well adapted for altitude, cold, and food scarcity. In both species (as it is often in birds), the male is much prettier and brighter then the otherwise absolutely dull female (it’s clearly absolutely opposite in humans). Interestingly, both are breeding at very high elevations (these are the highest breeding finches in the world) and then perform a vertical migration for winter down to warmer areas.