Frigatebirds | Fregatidae

Fregatvogels | Frigatebirds | Rabihorcados

A family of five tropical seabirds, two of which occur in the area of this guide. Magnificent Frigatebird is common along the Pacific coast and breeds in colonies on islands and in mangroves, for instance on Isla de la Plata off Ecuador and in the Galápagos; Great Frigatebird breeds in the Galápagos, where both species nest side by side, and is scarce along the mainland coast. Frigatebirds have the largest wing area relative to body weight of any bird: long, narrow, angled wings and a deeply forked tail. On rising air they climb high and glide over long distances, sometimes for weeks without landing. The plumage is not waterproof and the legs are short and weak, so they cannot swim or take off from the water. They snatch flying fish and squid from the surface in flight and chase boobies, terns and gulls until these drop their catch. In the colony males inflate a bright red throat pouch and quiver their spread wings to attract females flying over. The single chick fledges only after five or six months and is then fed by the parents for a long time, so that many birds breed only every other year.