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Titre :	An unlikely survivor: the peculiar natural history of the Raso Lark
Auteurs :	Paul F. Donald, Auteur ; M. De L. Brooke, Auteur
Type de document :	Article
Dans :	British Birds (99(8) AUG 2006)
Article en page(s) :	420-430
Résumé :	The Raso Lark Alauda razae is one of the rarest and most threatened birds in the world. Until recently, almost nothing was known of its population, behaviour or ecology. Recent research has shown that the species exhibits a number of fascinating behavioural and ecological peculiarities. The tiny population, currently fewer than 150 individuals, is dominated by males, which outnumber females by two to one. The males differ from the females in bill structure and feeding behaviour, possibly representing an adaptation to reduce competition between the sexes in a hostile environment. The species' population is correlated with rainfall, and numbers in the past must have fallen to extremely low levels, possibly even into single figures, during periodic long droughts. Nesting success is very low, owing to heavy predation of eggs by the near-endemic Cape Verde Giant Gecko Tarentola gigas, itself a threatened species. Despite this, and a growing number of other threats, the species still manages to maintain a precarious toehold on its tiny, drought-prone islet home, thanks largely to the continued absence of the introduced mammalian predators that infest neighbouring islands. Recent tourist developments on neighbouring islands, leading to greater visitor numbers, and a predicted increase in drought through climate change pose new and increasing threats. Urgent measures are required to secure the long-term survival of this remarkable and unlikely survivor.

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