KnowKi

Learn the wildlife of any country

Learn the wildlife of Cape Verde

Africa

1,374 species have research-grade observations in Cape Verde on iNaturalist. KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos, so you can learn a country's wildlife from home.

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Āki the kiwi, KnowKi's guide

Most recorded here

The species with the most research-grade observations on iNaturalist, and how many each has. Most recorded doesn't mean native.

Birds

  1. Cape Verde Sparrow Passer iagoensis501
  2. Western Cattle-Egret Ardea ibis174
  3. Gray-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala157
  4. Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus140
  5. Kentish Plover Anarhynchus alexandrinus125
  6. Sanderling Calidris alba120
  7. Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis115
  8. Eurasian Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus112
  9. Little Egret Egretta garzetta108
  10. Osprey Pandion haliaetus103

Plants

  1. Giant milkweed Calotropis procera204
  2. Cow tongue Echium stenosiphon97
  3. Cabo Verde spurge Euphorbia tuckeyana92
  4. Mexican prickly poppy Argemone mexicana82
  5. Common lantana Lantana camara66
  6. Sea purslane Sesuvium portulacastrum66
  7. Yellow Broomrape Cistanche phelypaea66
  8. Dragon-tree Dracaena draco62
  9. Globularia amygdalifolia61
  10. Teasel Gourd Cucumis dipsaceus60

Mammals

  1. Green Monkey Chlorocebus sabaeus23
  2. Donkey Equus asinus20
  3. Domestic Cat Felis catus17
  4. Domestic Goat Capra hircus13
  5. Domestic Dog Canis familiaris12
  6. Pantropical Spotted Dolphin Stenella attenuata10
  7. Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae8

Insects

  1. Plain Tiger Butterfly Danaus chrysippus143
  2. Sahelian tree locust Anacridium melanorhodon117
  3. Pubescent Carpenter Bee Xylocopa pubescens99
  4. Pea Blue Lampides boeticus90
  5. Violet Dropwing Trithemis annulata83
  6. Diabolocatantops axillaris79
  7. Citrus Swallowtail Papilio demodocus66
  8. Broad Scarlet Crocothemis erythraea66
  9. African Grass Blue Zizeeria knysna59
  10. Striped Hawkmoth Hyles livornica54

Spiders and kin

  1. Banded-legged golden orb-web spider Trichonephila senegalensis164
  2. Argiope sector60
  3. Tropical Tent-web Spider Cyrtophora citricola21
  4. Gray Wall Jumping Spider Menemerus bivittatus19
  5. Pantropical Huntsman Spider Heteropoda venatoria15
  6. Pantropical Jumping Spider Plexippus paykulli13
  7. Thomisus citrinellus8

Reptiles

  1. Loggerhead Sea Turtle Caretta caretta83
  2. Green Sea Turtle Chelonia mydas82
  3. Sal Island Skink Chioninia spinalis77
  4. Fogo Island Skink Chioninia fogoensis51
  5. Cape Verde Skink Chioninia delalandii23
  6. Tropical House Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia20
  7. Vaillant's Cape Verde Skink Chioninia vaillantii13
  8. Stanger's Cape Verde Skink Chioninia stangeri12
  9. São Nicolau Skink Chioninia nicolauensis10
  10. Boa Vista Leaf-toed Gecko Hemidactylus boavistensis10

Fish

  1. Ornate Wrasse Thalassoma pavo126
  2. African Hind Cephalopholis taeniops97
  3. Eastern Atlantic Trumpetfish Aulostomus strigosus94
  4. Honeycomb Moray Muraena melanotis77
  5. Monrovia Doctorfish Acanthurus monroviae77
  6. Longspined Porcupinefish Diodon holocanthus74
  7. European Parrotfish Sparisoma cretense73
  8. Brown Chromis Azurina multilineata69
  9. Blackbar Soldierfish Myripristis jacobus67
  10. White Seabream Diplodus lineatus66

Mollusks

  1. Spotted seahare Aplysia dactylomela96
  2. Coryphellina arveloi51
  3. African sea goddess Felimare tema43
  4. Flabellina llerae42
  5. Tambja fantasmalis21
  6. Pleurobranchus reticulatus13
  7. Phorcus mariae13
  8. Siphonaria placentula13
  9. Spiny Fan Mussel Pinna rudis11
  10. Bubonian Conch Thetystrombus latus11

How a trip works

A trip has its own trail of lessons: meet six species, match them to new photos, then practice with four choices. Species you learn go into your Fieldbook, and starting a trip earns its Passport stamp. Your home place stays as it is.

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Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. Free, with no ads, no account and no purchases.