Raso Lark - Alauda razae

Raso Lark - Alauda razae.

IUCN STATUS CATEGORY Endangered

HABITAT Occurs on flat plains with loose volcanic soil, scattered rocks and sparse, low vegetation; also forages among coastal rocks.

GEOGRAPHICAL SPREAD Restricted to the south-west of the small (7sq. km), very arid, and uninhabited island of Raso, Cape Verde Islands.

CURRENT POPULATION Reportedly widespread and abundant at the end of the last century and during the first half of the present one, but has declined from the mid 1960s onward to an apparent low of around 20 pairs in the early 1980s. Subsequent surveys have put the population at 75 to 100 pairs in 1986 and 1988, and some 250 birds in the early 1990s.

SIZE Male 15 to 16cm. Female 14cm.

WEIGHT Estimated at 30 to 35g.

AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY Not available.

NORMAL DIET Small insects, seeds and other plant material.

NORMAL LIFESTYLE A ground-dwelling species, that occurs in flocks, and makes a fragile grass nest in a small depression in the soil sheltered by a rock or plant. Breeding success appears to depend on a rain-induced flush of vegetation.

PREVIOUS GEOGRAPHICAL SPREAD Previously recorded throughout the island.

REASONS FOR DECLINE The population appears to fluctuate greatly in response to climate, and recent declines may be attributable to successive dry years.

CURRENT THREATS The species must be at continued risk from climatic changes, and would be vulnerable to any human colonisation. Introduced species could have a severe impact: a dog was reported on the island of Raso in June 1994, until then the island had been dog free.

CONSERVATION PROJECTS None known. It has been recommended that no further specimens be taken for museum collections.

SPECIAL FEATURES

REFERENCES

Collar, N.J. and Stuart, S.N. 1985. Threatened Birds of Africa and Related Islands. The ICBP/IUCN Red Data Book, Part 1. ICBP (now BirdLife International) and IUCN, Cambridge.

Collar, N.J., Crosby, M.J., and Stattersfield, A.J. 1994. Birds to Watch 2. The World List of Threatened Birds. BirdLife International, Cambridge.

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