Habitat restoration to conserve the Little Vermilion Flycatcher on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos.

The endemic Little Vermilion Flycatcher (LVF), , has suffered a drastic decline on Santa Cruz Island, where it was common 30 years ago. Currently, less than 40 individuals remain in the last remnants of natural humid forest in the Galapagos National Park on this island. This small population has low reproductive success, which is contributing to its decline in Santa Cruz.

Behavior of the Avian Parasite (Diptera: Muscidae) in and Near Host Nests in the Galapagos Islands.

Unlabelled: The Avian Vampire Fly, , has invaded the Galapagos Islands, where it causes high mortality of endemic and native landbird species, including most species of Darwin's finches. Control methods are under development, but key information is missing about the reproductive biology of and the behavior of flies in and near nests of their hosts. We used external and internal nest cameras to record the behavior of adults within and outside nests of the Galapagos Flycatcher, , throughout all stages of the nesting cycle.

Trypanosomatids Detected in the Invasive Avian Parasite (Diptera: Muscidae) in the Galapagos Islands.

Alien insect species may present a multifaceted threat to ecosystems into which they are introduced. In addition to the direct damage they may cause, they may also bring novel diseases and parasites and/or have the capacity to vector microorganisms that are already established in the ecosystem and are causing harm. Damage caused by ectoparasitic larvae of the invasive fly, (Dodge and Aitken) to nestlings of endemic birds in the Galapagos Islands is well documented, but nothing is known about whether this fly is itself associated with parasites or pathogens.