On Galapagos Islands, Darwin's flycatcher makes a tiny comeback

Darwin's flycatcher, a small bird with striking vermilion plumage, is making modest but noticeable headway on the Galapagos Islands in its battle back from near extinction according to the remote archipelago's national park.

The only 15 remaining pairs of the birds on the island of Santa Cruz have produced 12 chicks this year, the park said. The species is endemic to the Galapagos, and is considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Darwin's flycatchers reside on other islands in the chain, like Pinzon, but their population was particularly threatened on Santa Cruz Island.