The Little Vermilion Flycatcher is one of the most colorful birds of Galapagos. It is also not easy to find. It resides in a few localized areas, and is declining at a rapid rate. It is close to extinction on Santa Cruz Island and under threat on Isabela Island. It’s a close relative of the Vermilion Flycatcher found in southwestern US, but I’ve never seen one there, so I was really hoping to add it to my life list.

When I got to Isabela Island, I found a guy with a beat-up pickup truck, who said he knew where to find them. (Not that I hired him because he had a beat-up pickup truck; I just got a little worried when I got into the pickup truck and realized that neither the windows nor my door closed very well…) It took about 45 minutes to drive to the location deep in the highlands (mountains), then another 45 minutes of walking before I spotted two of the beautiful creatures. Here they are in all their scarlet glory!

Locals refer to them as “bien viaje” birds, which translates to “good travel” or “good luck.” According to native lore, if the bird is facing you, it’s a good omen. If it turns away, not so good. He was mostly facing me, although he did turn his butt to me once or twice, so I’m not sure what that means for my luck! 🙂