Darwin's finches

noun

• a group of songbirds related to the buntings and found on the Galapagos Islands, discovered by Charles Darwin and used by him to illustrate his theory of natural selection. They are believed to have evolved from a common ancestor and have developed a variety of bills to suit various modes of life.

  • Family Emberizidae (subfamily Emberizinae): four to six genera, especially Geospiza (the ground finches) and Camarhynchus (the tree finches)