No matter where you see one, be prepared for an awe-inspiring experience. “Look for them soaring overhead on the West End, perched on pilings near San Luis Pass, and following the ferries on the East End. This pirating behavior caused sailors to give the species the nickname “Man’o’war bird”.” However, they are better known for their habit of chasing and harassing other birds to steal food from them in midair, even shaking them upside down to force them to release their prey. They forage by skimming over the surface of the water and using their long, hooked bills to capture fish and other prey. Although they are water birds, their feathers aren’t waterproof, so they are unable to land on or dive into water. “Frigatebirds are amazing aerialists, staying on the wing for weeks at a time, rarely needing to flap and steering with their tails. Therefore, one can assume a certain aerodynamic. The male has a striking red gular sac which it inflates to attract a mate. The magnificent Frigate bird, (Frigata magnificens), shows an extraordinary behaviour. Frigate bird and Pelican flying behind charter fishing boat in Cabo San Lucas Baja California Mexico. Young plunges its head into the parent’s throat and swallows all the ingested food during their fishing parties.A large, lightly built seabird with brownish-black plumage, long narrow wings, and a deeply forked tail, the Magnificent Frigatebird can be seen soaring above the bay and gulf. A magnificent frigate bird,Fregata magnificens, with a red keelsack flying at a white background. But when parents come back, it awakes, raising the head and calling until adults open their bills. It adopts a special posture, with head downwards, as dead. Magnificent Frigatebird doesn’t breed each year.Īs large as adults, young waits for parents during long time, in full sun. It can fly at about 4 to 6 months, but it depends from parents for feeding during at least six months, and then, female alone feeds it during 8 months more. Chick is naked at hatching, but it rapidly gets a grey-white down. Incubation lasts about seven weeks, shared by both adults. Nest is built by both adults.įemale lays only one single white egg. It is a semi-spherical platform, made with sticks, and lined with feathers and bit of bones. Nest is located at the top of a bush or a tree, or in rocky bank if vegetation is absent. Magnificent Frigatebird nests in colonies, often in small groups. It is able to perform rapid and dramatic behaviour for feeding. It also steals preys to other sea birds, harassing them while flying until they let go or regurgitate their preys. Common throughout the tropics, this aerial acrobat can. Its plumage is not waterproof, and prevents it from diving into the water. The magnificent frigatebird is also known as the pirate bird, condor of the oceans and Man-o-War bird. It drops vertically onto its prey and catches it abruptly, without any dive under water. It fishes while skimming over water, capturing fish with its bill on the surface. Magnificent Frigatebird uses its agile flight for catching preys. It also nests in the West Indies, in Central America, on Fernando Noronha Island, and in Brazil Islands. It nests on small rocky islands towards Boa Vista and Cape Verde Islands. We find it on coasts, including the wet mangroves and the harbours. But it lives all year round as well inland as on surrounding areas shores. Magnificent Frigatebird is the characteristic tropical sea coast frigatebird. As in all seabirds, magnificent frigatebirds nest on land, but they spend almost all of their time in flight, searching for food. Birds photographed from the beach in Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, March 2021. Magnificent Frigate, Fregata magnificens. Magnificent Frigate, Fregata magnificens, Males, Breeding. Magnificent Frigate, Fregata magnificens, Female with Breeding Male. We can also hear throaty sounds in breeding period. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora. Magnificent Frigatebird is generally silent, except in the colony where male utters rapid, crackling, drumming and quavering sounds and snapping bill.
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