Details
Fregata magnificens
The magnificent frigatebird is a large tropical seabird that soars over warm oceans on very long wings. Males display a red throat pouch, and the species is famous for stealing food from other birds.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It occurs over tropical Atlantic and Pacific waters, including Caribbean and nearby island regions. Colonies breed on islands with shrubs or mangroves.
Length is 89-114 cm and weight 1.1-1.9 kg. The wings are extremely long, the tail deeply forked, and the body light; males are black and inflate a red throat pouch when displaying.
Diurnal and colonial, it uses rising air to soar for long periods. It is poorly suited to sitting on water and takes food from just above the surface.
A carnivore, it eats flying fish, squid, small fish, seabird chicks, and fish scraps. It also chases other seabirds until they drop or regurgitate food.
Nests are built in island shrubs. Males inflate the red throat pouch to attract females, and chicks grow slowly with extended parental care.
It is listed as Least Concern. Disturbance at breeding islands, introduced predators, and coastal change can affect local colonies.
