NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Common Cactus Finch
Geospiza scandens (Gould, 1837)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The common cactus finch or small cactus finch (Geospiza scandens) is a species of bird in the Darwin's finch group of the tanager family Thraupidae. It is endemic to the Galapagos Islands, where it is found on most islands, with the notable exception of Fernandina, Española, Genovesa, Darwin and Wolf. Most of these islands are inhabited by its close relative, the Española cactus finch.
Its natural habitats are dry scrubland and woodland. It is often closely associated with the cactus Opuntia.
Wikipedia contributors, Common cactus finch; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:17:26.842328+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Geospiza scandens (Gould, 1837)
- Name authority
- (Gould, 1837)
- Common name
- Common Cactus Finch
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Geospiza
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyThraupidae
- genusGeospiza Gould, 1837
- speciesGeospiza scandens (Gould, 1837)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Geospiza. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Espanola Cactus FinchGeospiza conirostris Ridgway, 1890 | ThraupidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Large Ground FinchGeospiza magnirostris Gould, 1837 | ThraupidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Genovesa Ground FinchGeospiza acutirostris Ridgway, 1894 | ThraupidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sharp-beaked Ground FinchGeospiza difficilis Sharpe, 1888 | ThraupidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Medium Ground FinchGeospiza fortis Gould, 1837 | ThraupidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Small Ground FinchGeospiza fuliginosa Gould, 1837 | ThraupidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Genovesa Cactus FinchGeospiza propinqua Ridgway, 1894 | ThraupidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Vampire Ground FinchGeospiza septentrionalis Rothschild & E. Hartert, 1899 | ThraupidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=560240 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3FSC5. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.