Essay: The Raso Lark (Alauda Razae)

Over the course of history, there have been many environmental factors that have played roles in the destruction of former species. Whether it be climatic changes, the spread of fatal diseases, predation by other species, the changing plant community, or geological events, many of the Earth’s ancient and historic species have become a distant memory. Many historic species like the Dodo and Woolly Mammoth no longer exist. Today, we as a society are taking the steps to preserve the many species that still wander our wonderful planet. But, before we get into that, we must understand that there is a difference between a “threatened” and “endangered” species. A “threatened” species defines a species that will most likely become an endangered one in the near future, whereas an “endangered” species defines a species that is, of course, endangered of becoming extinct. As of today, there are more then 16,000 endangered species threatened with extinction. As the years continue to pass, the number of endangered species increases. Whether or not we see some of these species as an important part of our world, every single species plays a role in their respective environment. One of the many endangered species that reside on our planet today is the Raso Lark.
​The Raso Lark, scientifically known as Alauda Razae, was given its name in 1898 by Boyd Alexander, an English army officer and explorer. The Raso Lark is a type of passerine bird that only resides on the island of Raso (Ilhèu Raso), which is one of many islands in the Cape Verde Island set. The island is the only home of this critically endangered bird. The Island of Raso has a large amount of volcanic soil, and has some small vegetated patches where the Raso Lark feeds and breeds. The island is located in the Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspot. The population tends to fluctuate based on climate change in the region. In this specific region, drought is very common. In the past, we’ve understood that water is essential for all living things. It is a natural resource that is necessary for survival. After all, humans are made up mainly of water, so we need this resource just as much as other species do as well.
​The Alauda Razae is known as a ground-nester, simply meaning that their nests are usually located on the ground. This proves to be a serious problem, as this allows for the intrusion of predators as well as other environmental elements that can play a role in the destruction or extinction of a species.
​According to previous studies on this interesting species of bird, the Raso Lark has been seen at times feeding upon rocks that are close to water. The Raso Lark’s main diet consists of eating bulbs (Cyperus bulbosus) and nutsedges (Cyperus cadamosti), as well as insects such as butterflies, moths, and grasshoppers. Scientists have also observed that male Raso Larks have larger bills, approximately 20 percent larger than those of females. Studies have shown that their breeding patterns are quite irregular. This is more than likely due to the fact that the area in which they inhabit sees irregular patterns of rain. An interesting point to note is about the Raso Larks is that during the non-breeding season, the birds tend to aggregate into flocks and they can be found in other parts of the island. According to Dr. Michael Brooke, the adult survival appears to be extremely high and the species is thought to be a relatively long-living one.
​This species has been listed as an endangered since 1994, a time period of about 22 years. As of the year 2000, Raso Larks have been classified as “critically endangered (CR)” Since that time, the population has drastically decreased. As of November 2011, there were approximately 1500 Raso Larks remaining, but the trend has shown that this number may be even lower in recent models. Because of constant weather pattern changes, the population continues to increase and decrease tremendously. There have been models that showed that the population was as high as 2000, and as low as a mere 150 birds. There has been long-term desertification in the Cape Verde Islands, which continues to hurt the already suffering population of the birds. One positive trend about this population is that it is currently stable: the number is not increasing or decreasing too much. The only major downfall for this species is that its breeding success rate is rather low due to the high predation by geckos that inhabit this island.
​There have been many steps that both the government and scientists are taking to try preserve the species as long as possible. The Raso Larks are protected by Cape Verde law since 1955 and in 1990, the island of Raso was declared a national park. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a sufficient amount of enforcement in regard to these laws. In previous years, a local NGO collected young Raso Larks as well as their eggs. Since then, the collection process has been halted as the species has become critically endangered. There has been major population monitoring since 2001, and there plans for future research in order to determine the conditions that are necessary for successful breeding amongst the species.
​There have been many proposed idea in order to preserve the Alauda Razae species. One of the conservation actions that were proposed is to conduct research into other potential nest predators. Researchers feel as though doing in-depth research on predators of the Raso Lark will provide information as to what other types of animals that the predators may feast upon. Another possibility in regard to preserving this beautiful species of bird is to find a new suitor island for the species. By moving the birds to a new island and away from potential predators, the species may be able to live at peace without having to worry about being hunted by others. This will more than likely help to increase the population dramatically, ultimately removing the species from the endangered list for the time being. A new island with no other inhabitants would be difficult to find because the conditions on the island may not support any form of life, hence why it is left uninhabited altogether.
​Raso Larks are an important species because they provide diversity. The more diversity in our world, the more beauty we shall witness. Having diversity is important, whether it be through species or through cultural methods. Expressing diversity is extremely important because it shows that not everyone and everything is exactly the same.
Works Cited:
• Brooke, M. D. (2012, April 10). Rainfall-related population growth and adult sex ratio change in the Critically Endangered Raso lark (Alauda razae). Animal Conservation, 15(5). doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2012.00535.x
• Western Africa: Archipelago off the coast of Senegal. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2016, from http://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/at0201
• Species. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2016, from http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/factsheet/22717428
• Surhone, L. M., Tennoe, M. T., & Hensonnow, S. F. (2011). Raso Lark.
• Endangered Species Act | Overview. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2016, from http://www.fws.gov/endangered/laws-policies/
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