Taxonomy based on science is necessary for global conservation

Peer reviewe

Eighth report on birds from the Cape Verde Islands : including records of nine taxa new to the archipelago

Recent data on status and distribution of resident and migrant birds in the Cape Verde Islands are presented, including records of nine taxa new to the archipelago, viz. Ciconia nigra, Ciconia ciconia, Circus macrourus, Falco naumanni, Chlidonias hybrida, Chlidonias leucopterus, Apus affinis, Ptyonoprogne fuligula and Phylloscopus inornatus. Also presented are data on a number of breeding taxa, including the first record of the endemic Cape Verde purple heron Ardea bournei outside Santiago island. The alarming situation of the magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificens, of which only three individuals remain in Cape Verde, constituting the entire population in the East Atlantic, remains of great concern. Several species of birds of prey are also highly threatened and have already become extinct in some islands. Following its expansion through Northwest Africa and the Canary Islands, Eurasian collared dove Streptopelia decaocto has now also become established in at least three of the Cape Verde Islands.São apresentados dados sobre o estado e distribuição de aves residentes e migratórias nas ilhas de Cabo Verde, incluindo registos de nove novos taxa no arquipélago, viz. Ciconia nigra, Ciconia ciconia, Circus macrourus, Falco naumanni, Chlidonias hybrida, Chlidonias leucopterus, Apus affinis, Ptyonoprogne fuligula e Phylloscopus inornatus. São igualmente disponibilizados dados sobre taxa nidificantes, incluindo o primeiro registo da espécie endémica garça-vermelha-de-Cabo-Verde Ardea bournei fora de ilha de Santiago. É destacada também a situação alarmante da fragata Fregata magnificens da qual apenas restam três indivíduos em Cabo Verde, constituindo a totalidade da população em todo o Atlântico Leste. Algumas aves de rapina estão altamente ameaçadas e já se encontram extintas em algumas ilhas. Na sequência da sua expansão através do Noroeste Africano e ilhas Canárias, a rola-turca Streptopelia decaocto estabeleceu-se em pelo menos três das ilhas de Cabo Verde

Seventh report on birds from the Cape Verde Islands : including records of nine taxa new to the archipelago

Recent data on status and distribution of resident and migrant birds in the Cape Verde Islands are presented, including records of nine taxa new to the archipelago, viz. Ixobrychus sturmii, Botaurus stellaris, Butorides striatus, Circus cyaneus, Porzana pusilla, Fulica atra, Chlidonias niger, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus and Hippolais polyglotta. Also presented are data on a number of breeding taxa, including the first record of the endemic Raso lark Alauda razae outside the islet of Raso. The alarming situation of the magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificens, of which probably only two individuals remain in Cape Verde, constituting the entire population in the East Atlantic, is highlighted. During the past decade, breeding populations of common moorhen Gallinula chloropus appear to have become well-established on the islands of Santiago and Boavista. Following its expansion through Northwest Africa and the Canary Islands, Eurasian collared dove Streptopelia decaocto has now also colonized the Cape Verde Islands.São apresentados dados sobre o estado e distribuição de aves residentes e migratórias nas ilhas de Cabo Verde, incluindo registos de nove novos taxa no arquipélago, viz. Ixobrychus sturmii, Botaurus stellaris, Butorides striatus, Circus cyaneus, Porzana pusilla, Fulica atra, Chlidonias niger, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus e Hippolais polyglotta. São igualmente disponibilizados dados sobre taxa nidificantes, incluindo o primeiro registo da espécie endémica calhandra-do-ilhéu-Raso Alauda razae fora do ilhéu Raso. É destacada também a situação alarmante da fragata Fregata magnificens da qual provavelmente apenas restam dois indivíduos em Cabo Verde, constituindo a totalidade da população em todo o Atlântico Leste. Durante a última década, populações nidificantes de galinha-de-água Gallinula chloropus parecem ter-se estabelecido de forma permanente nas ilhas de Santiago e Boavista. Na sequência da sua expansão através do Noroeste Africano e ilhas Canárias, a rola-turca Streptopelia decaocto também coloniza agora as ilhas de Cabo Verde

Sixth report on birds from the Cape Verde Islands : including records of 25 taxa new to the archipelago

Recent data on status and distribution of resident and migrant birds in the Cape Verde Islands are presented, including records of 25 taxa new to the archipelago, viz. Mareca penelope, M. americana, Anas carolinensis, A. clypeata, Pterodroma arminjoniana, Sula dactylatra, Egretta thula, Ardea melanocephala, Hieraaetus pennatus, Porzana porzana, Crecopsis egregia, Porphyrula martinica, Pluvialis apricaria, Calidris fuscicollis, C. bairdii, Gallinago delicata, Larus audouinii, L. atricilla, Streptopelia decaocto, Ceryle rudis, Ptyonoprogne rupestris, Motacilla citreola, Erithacus rubecula, Oenanthe leucopyga and Lanius senator. The current situation of some endemic taxa is discussed, some of which (e.g. Ardea bournei) are critically endangered, while others (e.g. Acrocephalus brevipennis) have been shown to be more widespread than previously known.São apresentados os dados recentes sobre o estado e a distribuição de aves residentes e migratórias nas ilhas de Cabo Verde, incluindo 25 novos registos para o archipélago, nomeadamente Mareca penelope, M. americana, Anas carolinensis, A. clypeata, Pterodroma arminjoniana, Sula dactylatra, Egretta thula, Ardea melanocephala, Hieraaetus pennatus, Porzana porzana, Crecopsis egregia, Porphyrula martinica, Pluvialis apricaria, Calidris fuscicollis, C. bairdii, Gallinago delicata, Larus audouinii, L. atricilla, Streptopelia decaocto, Ceryle rudis, Ptyonoprogne rupestris, Motacilla citreola, Erithacus rubecula, Oenanthe leucopyga e Lanius senator. Discute-se a situação actual de taxa endémicas, nomeadamente algumas em grande perigo (e.g. Ardea bournei) enquanto outras provaram ser mais abundantes do que anteriormente se pensava (e.g. Acrocephalus brevipennis)

Notes on distribution, conservation, and taxonomy OF birds from the Cape Verde Islands, including records of six species new to the archipelago

Recent data on the distribution of birds in the Cape Verde Islands are presented, including records of six species new to the archipelago, viz. Pintail Anas acuta, Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla, Snipe Gallinago gallinago, Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica, African Sand Martin Riparia paludicola, and Song Thrush Turdus philomelos. Also included are data on extentions in range and time within the islands of migrant visitors as well as observations of rare and threatened resident species. Extralimital records of migrant Cape Verde seabirds are summarized and news and views relating to the conservation of threatened endemic taxa are discussed. In addition, some recent studies bearing on the systematics of endemic Procellarids are reviewed

Introducing Zoologia Caboverdiana

When I first visited the Cape Verde Islands, back in 1986 and 1987, I would not have guessed that this marked the beginning of a long and intensive relationship with the islands, their people and their wildlife. In the course of these early visits, which focused on endemic birds and seabirds, it became clear that the situation of many taxa was dramatic and decisive steps to safeguard their continued existence were urgently needed. After consultations with local authorities, it was agreed that an action plan should be drafted and during the following eight years I worked in Cape Verde for prolonged periods each year, engaging both in research and educational activities. One of the outcomes of this was the designation of a number of areas as Natural Reserves protected by law, thus laying the basis of the network of protected areas that we know today

On the history of the green monkey Chlorocebus sabaeus (L., 1766) in the Cape Verde Islands : with notes on other introduced mammals

The history of the green monkey Chlorocebus sabaeus, a species introduced by man, in the Cape Verde Islands is discussed. The earliest reference to the presence of monkeys on the island of Santiago dates from the late 16th century, when they were said to be abundant, suggesting that their introduction took place during the first 100 years since the first arrival of European navigators in the archipelago around 1460. Brava is the only other island in the Cape Verdes where the green monkey has been introduced. Reports of the former existence of feral monkey populations on other islands (e.g. Santo Antão and Fogo) are unsubstantiated. Today, populations of the green monkey survive on both Santiago and Brava, although – due to heavy persecution because of the damage they caused to plantations – their numbers are now probably less then they may have been in the past. In addition, the occurrence of other mammals introduced to the Cape Verde Islands is discussed. These encompass rodents (house mouse Mus musculus, brown rat Rattus norvegicus, black rat R. rattus) and the rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus. Finally, the history of free-living ungulates, particularly goats, in the archipelago is briefly discussed.Neste artigo é discutida a história do macaco verde Chlorocebus sabaeus, uma espécie introduzida pelo homem nas ilhas de Cabo Verde. A referência mais antiga à sua presença na ilha de Santiago data do final do século XVI. A referência indica que o número de exemplares era abundante, sugerindo que a sua introdução na ilha se terá dado no século seguinte à chegada dos primeiros navegadores europeus ao arquipélago por volta de 1460. A ilha Brava é a outra ilha onde os macacos foram introduzidos. Existem relatos de populações de macacos noutras ilhas (e.g. Santo Antão e Fogo), mas são insubstanciados. Actualmente, sobrevivem populações de macacos em Santiago e Brava, embora o número de exemplares tenha provavelmemte vindo a diminuir em virtude da caça devido aos estragos que trazem à agricultura. O artigo discute ainda outros mamíferos introduzida em Cabo Verde, como roedores (ratinho-caseiro Mus musculus, ratazana-castanha Rattus norvegicus, ratazana-preta R. rattus) e o coelho-bravo Oryctolagus cuniculus. Finalmente, é discutida de forma breve a história de mamíferos ungulados em regime de quase completa liberdade no arquipélago, particularmente cabras

Dragonflies (Insecta, Odonata) of São Vicente, Cape Verde Islands : 10 species on a desert island

The island of São Vicente, Cape Verde Islands, has no natural and permanent surface fresh water habitats. Surprisingly, with records of 10 species of dragonflies, the island is the most species-rich in the archipelago so far (cf. Aistleitner et al. 2008, this study). Knowledge of Odonata from São Vicente is based on a small number of reports, mostly including single records only (Calvert 1893, Kirby 1897, Lobin 1982, Aistleitner et al. 2008). During a visit to the island in August 2009, AM recorded four species as single adults. Two species were recorded on 26 August 2009, after two days of heavy rainfall which caused extensive temporary waterflows and pools in the main courses of river beds, on the plains, as well as on roads and sports grounds in and around the town of Mindelo

First record of Straw-coloured fruit bat Eidolon helvum (Kerr, 1792) for the Cape Verde Islands

On 8 September 2010, at 9:45 AM, a fruit bat was seen flying at a height of ca. 2 m over the sea off Ervatão, southeastern Boavista, Cape Verde Islands (16º 02’ N, 22º 41’ W). After a while, the animal landed in the beach vegetation. When captured, it did not offer any resistance to being handled and it was taken to the nearby sea turtle station, operated by the NGO Cabo Verde Natura 2000. The bat – which proved to be a female – was placed in an improvised cage made of plastic netting where it eagerly fed on the food provided, i.e. tomato, apple and banana. At 16:00 PM, the following biometric data were taken: head width 31.6 mm, humerus 81.1 mm, ulna 121.2 mm, tarsus 49.7 mm. When restrained for taking body measurements, the bat attempted to defend itself with its mouth

The last whale : rise and demise of shore-based whaling in the Cape Verde Islands

For two centuries, the seas of the Cape Verde archipelago were a favorite whaling ground – known as the ‘San Antonio Ground’ among whalers – for an international fleet of whaling ships and especially for the "Yankee whalers" from New England, USA. One of their main targets was the humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae, of which large numbers were caught (e.g. Clark 1887, Townsend 1935, Reeves et al. 2002, Smith & Reeves 2003, 2010)