Finches

This morning, I bought a copy of Jonathan Weiner’s Pulitzer-prize winning The Beak of The Finch. I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to read it–I’ve got a half dozen books I’m now halfway through–but I got it because a few weeks ago I caught a fascinating nature special called Islands of The Vampire Birds.</i> The birds in question are finches–you know, the cute little birds that you see in pet shops all the time (or, for that matter, hanging around the patios of Starbucks waiting for handouts); when I was a kid I called then “deeder birds,” after the “deeder-deeder” sound they make. Well, these ones are not quite so cute: during an awful drought on the Galapagos Islands, these finches learn to drink blood–and even to peck at the flesh of other birds on the islands, to start them bleeding. It’s an awesome, and slightly disturbing show about evolution in action right before your eyes, and if you can catch it, it’s definitely worth watching. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be available on tape or DVD. (If I’m wrong about this, I’m sure a helpful reader will let me know!)