Ilhéu Branco

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The small, uninhabited island Ilhéu Branco is part of the Cape Verde Islands.

Etymology

The island's name is derived from Portuguese branco meaning white. This alludes to the color of the rather frequent guano deposits.

Geography

The small island is part of the archipelago of the Ilhas de Barlavento (German windward islands ) in the north of the Cape Verde Islands. It is located between Santa Luzia in the northwest and the Ilhéu Raso in the southwest. After Santa Luzia in the north- north-west is about 8 km, located in the southeast to Ilhéu Raso 8.5 km. The northwest -southeast oriented island has a longitudinal extension of 3.6 km and a maximum width of 1.4 kilometers. It reaches a height of 327 meters above sea level.

Geology

Ilhéu Branco is purely volcanic origin and quite similar in structure to the neighboring island of Santa Luzia. However, the lava flows of the shield stage show a different, southeastern dip. The vein systems occur are located mainly in the north. The volcanic base of the island superimposed approximately 124 million years old oceanic crust of the Upper Cretaceous ( Aptian ). Mainly on the leeward side, a series of alluvial fans have formed in the Holocene, which are overlain by scattered aeolian dunes.

Flora and Fauna

The rocks of the Ilhéu Branco are used by numerous species of seabirds as nesting sites. Main breeding season is from July to October. Breed here, among others, the Cory's shearwater ( Calonectris diomedea edwardsii ), the little shearwater ( Puffinus ( assimilis ) boydi ), the Madeira Petrel ( Oceanodroma castro ) and around 250 couples the frigate petrel ( Pelagodroma marina). Other breeding birds are egrets (Egretta garzetta ) and Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus), Cape Verde Barn Owl (Tyto detorta ) and Kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus neglectus ). Peregrine Falcon ( Falco peregrinus Madens ) and Cape Verde Sparrow (Passer iagoensis ) are present.

The Ilhéu Branco was also shared with the Ilhéu Raso the home of up to 65 centimeters, Cape Verde Riesenskinks Macroscincus coctei, a reptile. Since the beginning of the 20th century, these skinks are considered extinct, no more copies of it have since been sighted. The endemic giant gecko Tarentola gigas has good stocks and is not threatened with extinction. It also enter the skinks Chioninia coctei and Chioninia stangeri on the island.

Nature reserve

Because of its faunal features, the Ilhéu Branco along with Santa Luzia and Ilhéu Raso ( Deserted Islands ) was in 1990 declared a nature reserve.

Climate

As on all island of Cape Verde also prevails on the Ilhéu Branco a warm, dry climate with little precipitation falling during the months of August to October, the dry season is from November to July. The temperature differences between summer and winter are low, the average temperatures in summer are about 25 degrees Celsius, average winter temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius.