Cape Verde is an archipelago home to several endemic birds. Besides that, several seabirds, like the Red-billed Tropicbird, the Bourne’s Heron, and the Magnificent Frigatebird, thrive in the humid rainforest environments of the country. However, the habitats risk constant degradation due to human presence, which puts several of these avian species in danger.
The national bird of Cape Verde is the Gray-headed Kingfisher. Other common birds include the Egyptian Vulture and the Greater Flamingo.
List of Common Birds Found in Cape Verde
Endemic Birds
- Alexander’s Swift
- Cape Verde Sparrow
- Cape Verde Storm-petrel
- Cape Verde Swamp Warbler
- Raso Lark
Other Native Birds
- Atlantic Canary
- Atlantic Canary-flycatcher
- Atlantic Puffin
- Barbary Falcon
- Barn Owl
- Blackcap
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- Black-headed Gull
- Black-necked Grebe
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Black-winged Stilt
- Blue Rock Thrush
- Bourne’s Heron
- Cape Verde Shearwater
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
- Common Blackbird
- Common Chiffchaff
- Common Coot
- Common Cuckoo
- Common Greenshank
- Common House Martin
- Common Kestrel
- Common Kingfisher
- Common Moorhen
- Common Quail
- Common Redshank
- Common Sand Martin
- Common Sandpiper
- Common Snipe
- Common Tern
- Common Waxbill
- Common Wood Pigeon
- Cream-colored Courser
- Egyptian Vulture
- Eurasian Collared Dove
- Eurasian Curlew
- Eurasian Jackdaw
- Eurasian Kestrel
- Eurasian Oystercatcher
- Eurasian Reed Warbler
- Eurasian Skylark
- Eurasian Spoonbill
- Eurasian Stone-curlew
- Eurasian Teal
- Eurasian Wigeon
- Eurasian Wren
- European Goldfinch
- European Robin
- European Shag
- Gray-headed Kingfisher
- Gray Heron
- Gray Wagtail
- Greater Flamingo
- Green Sandpiper
- Gray Plover
- House Sparrow
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Lesser Yellowlegs
- Little Egret
- Little Tern
- Magnificent Frigatebird
- Osprey
- Pied Avocet
- Pied Crow
- Purple Heron
- Red-billed Tropicbird
- Red-footed Falcon
- Red-rumped Swallow
- Ruddy Shelduck
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Ruff
- Sandwich Tern
- Sardinian Warbler
- Spectacled Warbler
- Squacco Heron
- Western Reef Heron
- Whimbrel
- Whiskered Tern
- White-faced Storm Petrel
- White-faced Whistling Duck
- White Wagtail
- Yellow-billed Tern
- Yellow-legged Gull
- Yellow-legged Turtle Dove
- Yellow Wagtail
- Zebra Finch
Non-native Birds
- Black Kite
- Eurasian Golden Oriole
- Eurasian Hoopoe
- European Bee-eater
- European Roller
- Greater Scaup
- Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Horned Grebe
- Lesser White-fronted Goose
- Pink-footed Goose
- Red-throated Pipit
- Rough-legged Buzzard
- Steller’s Eider
- Tawny Pipit
- White-tailed Eagle
Several places like Serra Malagueta Natural Park, Boa Vista Island, and Monte Gordo Natural Park are great for seeing the various birds of Cape Verde. As the island nation is a haven for migratory birds, the best time to see them is in the spring and autumn, when they come to the country.
