Magnificent Birds

April 18, 2009 in Frigatebirds with 2 comments

This post was last updated on November 23, 2010

The Magnificent Frigatebird sure lives up to its name; male birds have a magnificent red throat pouch which is inflated like a balloon in the breeding season. This is the only time of the year that they come to land, as they spend the rest of the year out at sea. These frigatebirds are widespread in the tropical Atlantic Ocean, south of Forida and the Carribean. It also breeds along the Pacific coast from Mexico to Ecuador. Although it spends most of its life over the ocean, it almost never lands on the water, taking food items in flight. They alternately climb in thermals, to altitudes as high as 1.5 miles (2500 meters) and then descend to near the water surface before rising up again. The only other bird known to spend days and nights on the wing is the Common Swift, which breeds in Europe and Asia and winters in Africa.

Photo by dakluza

If you like this cute frigatebird you may also like our other Birdorable seabirds.

Comments

Spurwing Plover on June 17, 2020 at 3:00 AM wrote:

They have been know to work in a mated pair in taking fish from a Booby one bird comes up behind the Booby and flips him over the Booby drops the Fish and its Partner grabs the fish

Spurwing Plover on May 25, 2022 at 7:21 AM wrote:

Q. What did the Seabird say when he dropped his fish? A.Frigate

Comments with links or HTML will be deleted. Your comment will be published pending approval.

Your name (required)

Your email address (required)

Your email address will not be published

Comment (required)

I agree to receive updates and news from Birdorable

You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information on how to unsubscribe, our privacy practices, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy. By clicking submit below, you consent to allow Birdorable to store and process the personal information submitted above to provide you the content requested.

2013 Bonanza Bird #2

Gift-Giving Rituals of the Least Tern: A Unique Courtship Display

July 2, 2013

We're excited to continue our journey towards our 500th Birdorable species by introducing a new bird each day. Today, we're delighted to showcase the Least Tern, a remarkable and delicate bird that is part of our Birdorable Bonanza. The Least Tern is...

South Africa's National Bird: The Elegant and Endangered Blue Crane

March 28, 2024

The Blue Crane, with its enchanting grace and striking presence, holds the esteemed title of the national bird of South Africa. This elegant avian animal (Anthropoides paradiseus) is not just a symbol of the nation's fragile, rich biodiversity, but also an emblem deeply woven into the cultural...

Endangered & Unusual Birds: The World's Top 100

April 28, 2014

Earlier this month, scientists named the 100 most unusual and endangered birds in the world. The species on the list were taken from the world's approximately 10,000 bird species, and ranked by their evolutionarily distinctiveness and conservation status. Here at Birdorable we like to highlight both unusual...

2013 Bonanza Bird #28: Hawfinch

July 28, 2013

We're adding new birds each day until we reach our 500th Birdorable species! Today's Bonanza bird is the Hawfinch. Look at that massive bill! Hawfinches are bulky birds, with large heads and stout bodies. Their large finch beaks have a metallic look to them....

Birdorable Blog