Flexi Says: A finch is a small to medium size passerine bird that eats nuts and seeds. In his diary, Darwin pointed out how each animal is well-suited for its particular environment. The shapes of the finch beaks on each island were well-matched with the seeds available on that island, but not the seeds on other islands. For example, a larger and stronger beak was needed to break open large seeds on one island, and a small beak was needed to eat the small seeds on a different island.