Updating the conservation status of Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus madens and other cliff-nesting raptors on Santo Antão Island (Cabo Verde)

The original cliff-nesting raptor community of the archipelago of Cabo Verde comprised eight taxa, six of which were considered endemic subspecies. Factors related to human activity over the last few decades have led to the extinction of the Black Kite Milvus migrans and of the endemic subspecies of Red Kite M. milvus fasciicauda, as well as the imminent loss of the Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus. Therefore, collecting information on the numbers and distribution of the extant raptors is essential for understanding their ecology and ensuring their conservation. This study aims to update the status and distribution of the raptors on Santo Antão, the northwesternmost island of Cabo Verde. Between 2023 and 2025, we conducted 96 hours of direct observation from vantage points and carried out road counts to obtain quantitative data on the entire avian community, focusing especially on the Cabo Verde subspecies of the Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus madens. For the first time ever, we discovered three breeding territories of this endemic subspecies on Santo Antão. No Egyptian Vultures or kites were sighted, strongly supporting their extinction on the island. We estimated that Santo Antão holds seven breeding pairs of the Cabo Verde subspecies of the Common Buzzard Buteo buteo bannermani, and that one of two Cabo Verde subspecies of the Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus neglectus remains widespread and common (∼0.2 birds/km). We encourage researchers and local authorities to gather further data on the remaining Santo Antão cliff-nesting raptor community as a first step towards ensuring its long-term conservation.