Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor)

The Great Frigatebird is a large seabird of the tropical oceans, where they are primarily found in the Pacific and Indian ocean basins. They are only rare vagrants near the continental United States, with a handful of records off the California coast, and one very lost bird found in Oklahoma. They do have breeding colonies on the Hawaiian Islands, however, and breeding colonies off the Pacific coast of Mexico. The birds are glossy black overall, but males are smaller than females, and have an impressive red chin sac they inflate during breeding. They are sometimes called "Iwa" in the Hawaiian Island chain.

Habitat

Found on a number of breeding colonies in the tropical, warm waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, with a very restricted breeding range of a couple of islands off the coast of Brazil in the Atlantic ocean. There, they nest in bushes or mangroves, or more rarely, on the ground.

Diet

Feeds mostly on fish and squid, but also is known for taking chicks of other nesting birds, and will also occasionally take other marine creatures.

Behavior

Most often feeds by flying above the water's surface and when prey is spotted, dropping down to grab it in flight. They will also occasionally harass other seabirds that have caught prey in attempts to force them to drop it. In some areas and in some seasons, preys heavily on chicks in nesting colonies of other seabirds.

Nesting

A platform nest is built of sticks and other vegetation and placed in shrubs or in a mangrove. The female lays a single egg, and both the female and male will help to incubate it. Both parents tend to the young after hatching. Nesting for a female occurs every other year, as the fledgling typically stays with the parent for up to a year and a half after hatching. Pair bonds are not usually maintained for the long term, and males may mate with different females each year.

Song

The vagrant birds found in North America are usually silent, as the species typically makes few vocalizations away from their breeding colonies. At breeding colonies, males make bill snapping sounds as they display with their inflated red air sacs.

Migration

Great Frigatebirds can be found across the warmer waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, with much smaller numbers in the Atlantic. However, adult birds tend to stay close to breeding colonies, and birds spotted away from breeding colonies are primarily juvenile birds, with much smaller numbers of non-breeding adults.

Interactive eBird Map

Click here to access an interactive eBird map of Great Frigatebird sightings

Compared with Magnificent Frigatebird: The Great Frigatebird is slightly larger and bulkier than the Magnificent Frigatebird, with males showing a greenish gloss to the upperparts rather than the purplish sheen typical of Magnificent Frigatebirds. Females have a reddish eye ring and a white belly that usually extends onto the flanks, whereas female Magnificent Frigatebirds have a bluish eye ring and a black breast band separating the white throat from the belly.

Compared with Lesser Frigatebird: The Great Frigatebird is noticeably larger, with broader wings and a heavier bill than the Lesser Frigatebird. Male Great Frigatebirds have a greenish sheen to the upperparts and females show more extensive white underparts, while Lesser Frigatebirds are smaller and more lightly built with different female underpart patterns.

Conservation Status

The Great Frigatebird is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because of its extensive range across the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans and its large global population. However, some breeding colonies are vulnerable to habitat disturbance, introduced predators, plastic pollution, and climate-related changes such as sea-level rise. Despite these localized threats, the species remains widespread and is not currently considered globally threatened.

Further Information

Photo Information

Photo taken by Don Faulkner - October 29th, 2009 - North Seymore - Photo licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License