The frigatebirds are a family, Fregatidae, of seabirds.There are five species in the single genus Fregata.They are also sometimes called Man of War birds or Pirate birds. Watching a Magnificent Frigatebird float in the air truly is, as the name implies, magnificent. Lee says that the most important species are frigate birds, shearwaters, boobies, terns and storm petrels, with pelicans and gulls sharing a lesser role. There are five species of Frigate Birds in the family, the Great, Christmas, Magnificent, Ascension, and Lesser Frigate Bird. Two species, the magnificent frigatebird and the great frigatebird, inhabit the Galapagos. Massive seabird of warm tropical oceans and coastlines. With the largest wingspan to weight ratio of any bird in the world, it is no wonder these birds are fantastic fliers. In good light, black coloration can show purplish sheen. However, they also appear regularly along the Gulf Coast, and strays have turned up in many parts of the continent. Others are the hoatzin bird of South America and the helmeted hornbill of south-east Asia.. Frigatebirds have a long lifespan compared to many other species of birds. ADVERTISEMENT. Each species account is written by leading ornithologists and provides detailed information on bird distribution, migration, habitat, diet, sounds, behavior, breeding, current population status, and conservation. The great frigate bird has the scientific name of Fregata minor.While the species name ‘minor’ may seem somewhat paradoxical, the bird was originally thought to be some kind of small pelican hence ‘minor’ meaning ‘small’. The magnificent frigatebird, Fregata magnificens, is the largest of five species of frigatebirds, and the only one typically found in North America. Male completely black with inflatable red pouch on throat (not seen away from breeding colonies) and bluish eyering. Bubba Carter. The magnificent frigatebird’s lifespan is around 34 years, the great frigatebird’s lifespan is between 30 and 34 years, the Christmas frigatebird’s lifespan is about 25 years, and the lesser frigatebird’s lifespan is between 17 and 23 years. Frigate birds, also known as Frigatebirds, or just Frigates, are a small group of birds in the Fregatidae. Unlock thousands of full-length species accounts and hundreds of bird family overviews when you subscribe to Birds of the World. Overall black with extremely long, deeply forked tail and angular wings. In North America, Magnificent Frigatebirds are seen most commonly in Florida. Beachgoers delight in this large, black pterodactyl-like bird that soars effortlessly on tropical breezes with hardly a flap, using its deeply forked tail to steer. The type species of the genus is the Ascension frigatebird (Fregata aquila).For many years, the consensus was to recognise only two species of frigatebird, with larger birds as F. aquila and smaller as F. ariel.In 1914 the Australian ornithologist Gregory Mathews delineated five species, which remain valid. Frigatebirds in the Zoo There are some very strange birds around and one is the Great Frigatebird. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Magnificent_Frigatebird/overview Few skippers have as much experience throughout the Atlantic, the Caribbean and the Pacific as Capt. These master aerialists are also pirates of the sky, stealing food from other birds in midair. This As in all seabirds, magnificent frigatebirds nest on land, but they spend almost all of their time in flight, searching for food. Adult female has white chest and golden bar on shoulder. 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