Easter Island Birds

[urbpan]

Songbirds are very difficult to photograph. They are small and fast-moving, and sensitive to human behavior: If you stop to take a picture, birds that were going about their business suddenly flee. I didn't get any pictures of birds on my vacation, that were worth looking at. My father, who has a better camera--and 35 more years of experience--managed a couple.

These are pictures of the common finch of western South America, Diuca diuca. They were introduced to Easter Island along with house sparrows. The local name for them is manu puhi, and I refer to them as diuca finches for simplicity's sake.