---
title: "What the sources say about the Magnificent Frigatebird | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "54 claims from the Magnificent Frigatebird profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/magnificent-frigatebird-1.webp"
canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/magnificent-frigatebird/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the Magnificent Frigatebird (*Fregata magnificens*)

> 54 claims from the Magnificent Frigatebird profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Magnificent Frigatebird](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/magnificent-frigatebird/)

## Magnificent Frigatebird. Audubon Field Guide, National Audubon Society.

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/magnificent-frigatebird

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| riding wings up to eight feet across | wingspan: 7 ft 6 in-8 ft (2.3-2.4 m) (note: tagline; top of the female's range) |
| mugging other birds for their catch | Also feeds by piracy, chasing other birds, forcing them to drop or disgorge their food. (note: tagline) |
| Tropical Coasts, Mangrove Islands & Open Ocean | Oceanic coasts and islands. Occurs over warm waters, usually along coast but also far offshore at times. Also soars inland in coastal areas (for example, crosses isthmus of Panama from one ocean to the other). Strays are rarely seen far inland around fresh water. Nests on islands, usually small islands with dense growth of mangroves (note: stats.habitat) |
| Carnivore (Fish, Flying Fish, Squid & Pirated Catches) | Also feeds by piracy, chasing other birds, forcing them to drop or disgorge their food. Diet The Magnificent Frigatebird feeds mainly on small fish, also squid, jellyfish, crustaceans. (note: stats.diet; flying fish from ADW's 'especially flying fish (Exocoetidae)') |
| lives over warm waters, usually along the coast but also far offshore at times | Occurs over warm waters, usually along coast but also far offshore at times. |
| It hunts from the air instead | Forages in the air, swooping close to water to take items from on or near surface, making very little contact with water. Never swims. |
| a wingspan of up to 2.4 meters, about 8 feet | wingspan: 7 ft 6 in-8 ft (2.3-2.4 m) (note: female range; males reach 2.3 m) |
| Females are the bigger sex: they run 1.1 to 1.2 meters long and 1.4 to 1.8 kilograms, while males come in at 1 to 1.1 meters and 1.2 to 1.4 kilograms. | Female — Length: 3 ft 9 in-3 ft 10 in (1.1-1.2 m); wingspan: 7 ft 6 in-8 ft (2.3-2.4 m); weight: 3 lb 2 oz-3 lb 14 oz (1.4-1.8 kg). Male — Length: 3 ft 5 in-3 ft 7 in (1-1.1 m); wingspan: 6 ft 10 in-7 ft 6 in (2.1-2.3 m); weight: 2 lb 10 oz-3 lb 2 oz (1.2-1.4 kg). |
| it takes food from on or near the surface with very little contact with the water | swooping close to water to take items from on or near surface, making very little contact with water. |
| Mostly that means small fish, plus squid, jellyfish and crustaceans | The Magnificent Frigatebird feeds mainly on small fish, also squid, jellyfish, crustaceans. |
| It forages over beaches the same way, without landing. | Forages in the same way over land, taking prey from beaches without landing. |
| It takes hatchling turtles, young terns and sometimes eggs, and scavenges scraps around fishing boats and docks. | Takes hatchling turtles, young terns and other birds, sometimes eggs. Also scavenges for scraps around fishing boats, docks. |
| Each female chooses one male | Females flying overhead are attracted to group, choose one male as mate. |
| she usually lays just one egg | A Magnificent Frigatebird usually only lays one egg. |
| The male leaves after about 12 weeks. | Male departs after about 12 weeks, female continues to feed young. (note: Audubon's current page over ADW's 'eleventh week') |
| The female keeps feeding the chick through its first flight at 20 to 24 weeks and for 16 weeks or more after that | female continues to feed young. Age at first flight 20-24 weeks; female will feed young for additional 16 weeks or more. |
| Nesting colonies are scattered across islands and coasts of tropical America | Nesting colonies are widely dispersed among islands and coasts of tropical America (and very locally off west Africa) |
| and very locally off west Africa | (and very locally off west Africa) |
| A frigatebird nest is never left unguarded until the chick is half-grown, because other members of the colony will eat eggs or young at an unattended nest. | Nest is never left unguarded until young are half-grown, as other members of colony will eat eggs or young at an unattended nest. (note: blockquote) |
| Never leave the nest empty | Nest is never left unguarded until young are half-grown (note: blockquote lead; the sentence after it carries the until-half-grown qualifier) |
| weightKg: 1.4 | weight: 3 lb 2 oz-3 lb 14 oz (1.4-1.8 kg). Male — Length: 3 ft 5 in-3 ft 7 in (1-1.1 m); wingspan: 6 ft 10 in-7 ft 6 in (2.1-2.3 m); weight: 2 lb 10 oz-3 lb 2 oz (1.2-1.4 kg). (note: task #770: 1.4 kg sits in both sexes' ranges) |
| a pirate on 2.4-meter wings | wingspan: 7 ft 6 in-8 ft (2.3-2.4 m) (note: vibe.reason, task #770) |

## Fregata magnificens (magnificent frigatebird). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Fregata_magnificens/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| a frigatebird glides just above the water and skims the surface with its bill | these birds gracefully glide just above the surface of the water and skim the surface with their beak to catch fish. (note: 'long hooked bill' is Audubon's description) |
| To keep its feathers dry, it can dip only about 15 centimeters, around 6 inches, below the surface | they are only able to dip about 15 cm deep to avoid getting their feathers wet. (note: 15 cm is 5.9 in, hedged as 'around 6 inches') |
| flying fish feel the pressure most | Magnificent frigatebird feeding habits affect their fish prey, especially flying fish (note: 'especially' restated as 'most') |
| Its old nickname, man-o'-war bird, comes from piracy. | Kleptoparasitism, the stealing of another animal's food, is how this species gets one of their nicknames, "Man-'o-War" (note: BOW: 'a reputation of being pirates—reflected in their colloquial name 'Man-o'-War Bird'') |
| A frigatebird chases gulls, terns, boobies and gannets until the victim coughs up its food, then catches the falling meal in midair. | They chase other birds, particularly gulls, gannets, terns, and boobies. This chase continues until the victim is forced to disgorge their food. Magnificent frigatebirds then catch the disgorged food in mid air. |
| Sometimes it grabs the other bird by the tail feathers and shakes it until it drops its food. | They may also catch the other bird by the tail feathers and shake it until they release their food. |
| males display in groups, each inflating a red throat pouch, called a gular sac, that can get so large it hides the bird's head | male magnificent frigatebirds congregate at male display sites. They inflate their large, red, gular sacs. These sacs, while inflated, can get so large that they obscure the bird's head. |
| make a loud drumming noise | they also make a loud, drumming noise during this display. |
| from Florida and Mexico to Brazil | They breed as far north as 25 degrees north latitude in Mexico and Florida and as far south 27 degrees south latitude in Brazil. (note: Audubon confirms Florida breeding since the late 1960s (Marquesas Keys) and at the Dry Tortugas since 1988) |
| Kleptoparasitism, stealing another animal's food, is one of its three main hunting techniques, alongside dipping and opportunistic feeding. | The three main hunting techniques are dipping, kleptoparasitism, and opportunistic feeding. ... Kleptoparasitism, the stealing of another animal's food (note: FAQ 2) |
| Now and then it even steals food from the hands of humans. | Occasionally they steal food from the hands of humans. (note: FAQ 2) |
| Frigatebirds are often found near groups of dolphins, tuna or other predatory fish that drive prey up to the surface, which makes their dipping more successful. | Magnificent frigatebirds are often found near groups of dolphins, tuna, or other predatory fish that drive much of their prey to the surface of the water. This makes magnificent frigatebirds more successful when using a dipping hunting technique. (note: FAQ 3) |
| it can dip only about 15 centimeters, around 6 inches, without getting its feathers wet | they are only able to dip about 15 cm deep to avoid getting their feathers wet. (note: FAQ 3; 15 cm is 5.9 in) |
| dangerLevel: Low | They are otherwise docile and while on land will often allow humans to come very close and even touch them. (note: task #770: tier as capability) |
| chases other seabirds until they cough up their catch | This chase continues until the victim is forced to disgorge their food. (note: vibe.reason, task #770) |

## Diamond & Schreiber (2020). Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens). Birds of the World.

https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.magfri.01

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A seabird whose feathers aren't waterproof | This species lacks waterproof plumage (note: tagline) |
| Non-Waterproof Flight and Mid-Air Food Piracy | the frigatebird darts down, catching the food before it hits the ocean. ... This species lacks waterproof plumage (note: stats.superpower) |
| The Seabird That Never Gets Wet | snatching fish or squid from near the ocean surface, never wetting a feather. (note: heading) |
| Its feathers are not waterproof, and it is rarely, if ever, seen sitting on the water. | This species lacks waterproof plumage and is rarely, if ever, seen to sit on the water. |
| females are 11 to 23 percent heavier than males | females being larger and 11-23% heavier than males (note: BOW cites Osorno 1996 for the figure) |
| It looks like a full-time pirate, but frigatebirds catch most of their food on their own. | While frigatebirds have a reputation of being pirates ... they catch most of their food on their own |
| They clatter their bills, wave their heads back and forth, quiver their wings and make a loud drumming noise, calling to females flying overhead. | males sit in varying size groups, sacs all inflated, clattering their bills, waving their heads back and forth, quivering their wings, and calling to females flying overhead. |
| young birds are often still being fed by the female at one year of age | young fledglings are often still being fed by the female at one year of age. |
| Leaving early lets males breed every year, while females breed only in alternate years. | males abandon their mate and half-grown chick and leave the colony ... This allows males to breed annually while females breed only in alternate years |
| In no other seabird are the sexes thought to breed on cycles of different lengths. | in no other seabird of any species are the sexes thought to breed on cycles of different lengths. |
| Frigatebirds have short legs and small feet and never walk or swim, and this species lacks waterproof plumage. | This species lacks waterproof plumage and is rarely, if ever, seen to sit on the water. While adept in the air, frigatebirds have short legs and small feet, and never walk or swim. (note: FAQ 1) |
| It is rarely, if ever, seen sitting on the water. | is rarely, if ever, seen to sit on the water. (note: FAQ 1) |
| Instead it snatches fish or squid from near the surface in flight, never wetting a feather. | they catch most of their food on their own, by snatching fish or squid from near the ocean surface, never wetting a feather. (note: FAQ 1) |

## AnAge entry for Fregata magnificens. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Fregata_magnificens

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The oldest one on record lived to about 34 years old | Maximum longevity 34 years |
| The longevity record stands at 34 years. | Maximum longevity 34 years (note: FAQ 4) |
| sexual maturity may come earlier, but they are usually 5 years old when they first breed | While sexual maturity may be attained earlier, animals are usually 5 years old when they first breed (note: FAQ 4) |

## Fregata magnificens. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T22697724A168982712.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2020-3.rlts.t22697724a168982712.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| the IUCN lists the species as Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: 2020 assessment, read through GBIF's copy) |