Range
The Pacific part of the Americas On the Pacific side of the Americas, the Magnificent Frigatebird is found within Baja, California, and Peru and in the Galapagos On the Atlantic coast, it is found in the Caribbean as well as the Gulf of Mexico.
Physical Description
The most common species of frigatebirds, called the Magnificent Frigatebird is solely oceanic and can be found in every tropical region across the globe. The bird is distinctive in its appearance, with a distinctly forked tail and incredibly lengthy, slim, and pointed wings. birds facts Its black-colored body makes an impressive silhouette against the sky.
However, the bird also features a smoky brown stripe across its upper wings, brown or black feet and a gray bill. Males have the Gular pouch (a throat pouch that can hold the large fish) which can range from bright red or bright pink.
Females have an enlarged gular pouch that is grayer with a white breast, an elongated brown bar on the wing, and an orbital skin around the eyes which is violet-blue. Juveniles have a head of white and breast, an impressive pale bar on the wing as well as a pale blue bill, skin around the orbit, and feet.
Interesting Biology
The Magnificent Frigatebird has the lowest wing load of any bird known which means that its wings are extremely long in comparison to its weight and size. It could have a wing span of up to 2 meters. Even though the frigatebird has the ability to take off and land but this isn’t always easy.
Therefore, the bird is mostly restricted to high places. It rests on high trees that line the shore or cliffs as well as being a part of the rigging of ships. It flies high in the sky over the ocean or shoreline and is not often far across the ocean. when it spots a flying fish or squid in the vicinity of the shore, it glides down and grabs them, but does not actually dive into the water. The frigatebird is often infected with kleptoparasites and often steals food from other birds.
Frigatebirds are often found in fishing vessels and towns seeking out dead meat to feast on. They also construct nests in colonies that can be as large as 10,000 couples of parents. These are platforms made of twigs in the top branches of trees that have consistent winds that help them take off when they land and often, the colony is located on an outcrop or an off-shore island.
Males bring females materials and then she builds the nest
They both protect the nest, and also share the responsibility of incubation as well as feeding. They each have one egg that is big and fragile and needs the equivalent of 55 days of incubation prior to hatching. The hatchling develops slowly, dependent on its nesting parents to feed it for six months when it is in the nest. Are Birds Mammals?
And once it has fledged after which the chick comes back every night for food for another 14 months, which makes the frigatebird one of the longest known chick-dependent anywhere in the world. They are able to live for over 40 years, however, their populations are battling the loss of habitat and predators introduced by humans including cats.