Great Frigatebird, Fregata minor
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![]() The Great Frigatebird is a creature of the tropical and subtropical regions of the Pacific and Indian oceans; it breeds mostly on islands in this climate belt and outside of breeding season extends its range much more widely over these oceans. The birds live by flying over the ocean capturing flying fish above and other fish swimming near the water surface, a way of life they share with their New World relatives the Magnificent Frigatebird. Great Frigatebirds are rarely seen in continental North America, but are year-round regulars in the seas of the Hawaiian archipelago, where all these photos were taken. |
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![]() The frigatebirds are named for pirate ships reflecting their habit of attacking smaller sea birds (especially boobies) in flight and forcing them to drop captured fish. (Their primary foraging mode is not theft, but direct fishing at or near the ocean surface.) The scene photographed above might be a Great Frigatebird pirating a White-tailed Tropicbird, except that the tropic bird is not carrying a fish; tropicbirds usually swallow their prey on or below the water surface. |