Cape Verde Pt 4 - desert birding

Below are some images of typical desert species I saw in Boa Vista, Cape Verde last month.  Boa Vista was the only island I visited and held enough to keep me occupied.  Other islands are expensive to visit and the locals seem to know how to charge the Euro200 inter-island flight.  A further 200 euros paid for a trip to Razo island for the endemic Razo Lark but I declined when told you cannot now land !

A typical ribeira, or dry river bed.  This area alone held three species of lark and Cream-coloured Courser



Hoopoe Lark, a common bird of the open desert



Hoopoe Lark, adult seen feeding a fledgling nearby.

Hoopoe Lark, in open desert with no vegetation. The tube in the foreground is actually a parched branch from an ancient woodland. 

Adult Spectacled Warbler, common in all habitats.

Bar-tailed Desert Lark; more localised but still present in good numbers.



Female Black-capped Finch Lark, common in arid desert.

Juv Black-capped Finch Lark

Adult male Iago Sparrow, a common endemic of the Cape Verdes (sometimes known as Rufous-backed Sparrow).

This was one of my target species and I saw about 20 in total.

Adult Cape Verde Cream-coloured Coursers, a localised sub species.