Birds to See in Cape Verde in December
30 bird species on our list for Cape Verde are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Rock Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove, Kestrel, Little Egret and Kentish Plover. New this month: Eurasian Teal, Western Marsh-harrier, Northern Pintail and Peregrine Falcon.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
From Cape Verde’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 30 birds in December
30 birds
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 4.53% in Dec
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 4.22% in Dec
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentCommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 4.06% in Dec
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 3.75% in Dec
Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinusResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 3.67% in Dec
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 3.59% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 3.59% in Dec
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorCommon40–46 cmRegularly Jul–May · 3.05% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentCommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 2.66% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorCommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–May · 2.27% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 2.27% in Dec
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–May · 2.27% in Dec
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentCommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 2.03% in Dec
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaWinter visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 1.95% in Dec
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 1.56% in Dec
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 1.48% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 1.33% in Dec
Purple HeronArdea purpureaWinter visitorCommon78–90 cmRegularly Nov–May · 1.02% in Dec
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorCommon27–30 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.94% in Dec
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusWinter visitorCommon48–66 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.86% in Dec
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.63% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoWinter visitorCommon51–57 cmRegularly Nov–Jun · 0.55% in Dec
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusPassage migrantUncommon48–56 cmRegularly Dec · 0.47% in Dec
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusPassage migrantCommon52–64 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.39% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusWinter visitorCommon30–38 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.39% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Dec–Feb · 0.31% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaPassage migrantCommon80–104 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.31% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusPassage migrantUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.31% in Dec
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.23% in Dec
Northern PintailAnas acutaPassage migrantUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Dec–Jan · 0.23% in Dec
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Blackcap 13–15 cm
- House Sparrow 14–17 cm
- Kentish Plover 15–17 cm
- Ringed Plover 17–19 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Common Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Green Sandpiper 21–24 cm
- Common Snipe 25–27 cm
- Grey Plover 27–30 cm
- Eurasian Collared Dove 30–32 cm
- Greenshank 30–35 cm
- Rock Dove 29–37 cm
- Moorhen 30–38 cm
- Kestrel 32–39 cm
- Eurasian Teal 34–38 cm
- Whimbrel 40–46 cm
- Peregrine Falcon 34–58 cm
- Cattle Egret 46–56 cm
- Western Marsh-harrier 48–56 cm
- Buzzard 51–57 cm
- Osprey 54–58 cm
- Glossy Ibis 48–66 cm
- Helmeted Guineafowl 53–63 cm
- Lesser Black-backed Gull 52–64 cm
- Little Egret 55–65 cm
- Northern Pintail 59–76 cm
- Purple Heron 78–90 cm
- Great White Egret 80–104 cm
- Grey Heron 90–98 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made