Magnificent Frigatebird - Ross Feldner

It’s easy to see why this bird is called magnificent, especially when the male inflates its impressive gular sac to attract a mate.

The largest of all frigatebirds with a nearly 4 foot wingspan, they feed in flight snatching fish from the ocean’s surface including flying fish! Magnificent Frigatebirds feed mainly on fish, squid, jellyfish and crustaceans. They will also harass other birds to force them to regurgitate their food. After forcing the other seabird to regurgitate its meal, the Magnificent Frigatebird will dive and catch the food before it hits the surface of the water. Even youngsters learn this technique by practicing with a stick in their mouth and chasing eachother. When one drops the stick the other swoops down to retrieve it.

They can be seen in subtropical waters on both southern coasts of America. Christopher Columbus encountered Magnificent Frigatebirds when passing the Cape Verde Islands on his first voyage across the Atlantic in 1492.

Magnificent Frigatebirds spend days and nights on the wing, often covering up to 139 miles before landing. They alternately climb in thermals, to altitudes occasionally as high as 8,200 feet. They generally take flight later in the afternoon for the greatest chance of high winds and favorable thermal conditions, which help keep them in the air.

They have an exceptionally long breeding period where both the male and female incubate the eggs for about 56 days. Magnificent Frigatebirds prefer to nest off the ground in mangrove forests and other trees.