The Magnificent Frigatebird is a large bird (35 inches, 90-inch wingspan) and a wonderful glider. The wings are narrow and pointed and
the tail is long and forked. The bill is long and hooked. The adult male is all black with a red throat sac that is inflated during courtship. The female is also black with a white breast. The toes are webbed.
These birds nest in large colonies. The female builds the nest and the male assists by bringing her materials. The nest is built of sticks and placed in a tree, bush or on the ground. The female lays only one egg. The incubation is about 50 days and it takes six months for the youngster to fledge. Both parents incubate and later care for the chick.
The frigatebird feeds on small fish, jellyfish, crustaceans and squid and they will rob Terns and Gulls in flight.
This bird is common in the summer in the Florida Keys during breeding season. Otherwise it is found in North America from the Carolina coast to Florida and westward to Texas and along the California coast.
Class: Aves | Order: Ciconiiformes | Family: Fregatidae |
Genus: Fregata | Species: Fregata magnificens
