The range of the magnificent frigatebird includes the American Pacific coast between Mexico and Ecuador, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, the Atlantic coast as far south as Brazil and the Cape Verde Islands. Individual specimens are also occasionally spotted in Europe or Canada. 

Isolation on the Galápagos Islands

According to a recent study, the population on the Galapagos Islands is genetically and morphologically very different from its relatives due to over 100,000 years of isolation and is therefore considered by some scientists to be a separate species with the name “Fregata magnificens magnificens”. As such, the magnificent frigatebird is classified as a vulnerable species.

Wingspan and gular sac

With a wingspan of over 2.30 meters (7.5 ft), the magnificent frigatebird is the largest species in the genus frigatebird. While the females are somewhat larger, the males have a very distinctive visual feature: a red gular sac. During courtship, they inflate it like a balloon to attract females.

Kleptoparasitism

The diet of the magnificent frigatebird consists mainly of fish, squid and crustaceans. However, it does not always hunt these itself, but often captures them from other seabirds, which it forces to regurgitate their prey by attacking them. This tactic, widespread in the animal world, is known as “kleptoparasitism” and has given the bird its name. The Frenchman Jean-Baptiste du Tertre described the genus in 1667 and named it after the frigate warship.

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