Introduction

Frigatebirds are fairly common in the Galapagos.  The Magnificent frigatebird is an endemic subspecies and there are an estimated 1,000 pairs in 12 colonies.  There are estimated to be a few thousand pairs of Great frigatebirds dispersed between 12 colonies.  Both species breed throughout the year and can be found in various locations around the Galapagos archipelago.

If you travel through the islands by boat it is not unusual to be stalked by frigate birds. Don't be surprised if they fly very close to you, or even find a convenient perch on your boat.

Identification

The frigatebird is a large, dark, long-winged seabird with rakish flight and a long, deeply forked tail.  Magnificent Frigatebirds are slightly larger than Great Frigatebirds and the two can be easily confused.  Adult males of both subspecies are largely black apart from their striking red gular sack.  Magnificent Frigatebirds have a purplish sheen to their mantle feathers and black or brown legs and feet, meanwhile male Great Frigatebirds have a green sheen to their mantle feathers and red or reddish brown legs and feet.

The male subspecies are hard to differentiate, although the Great Frigatebirds usually display a pale bar across their upper wing.  Adult females are similar to the males, but have a white breast.  Female Magnificent Frigatebirds have blue eye-rings, while Great Frigatebirds have red or pink eye rings.  Again, the females are hard to distinguish from each other in flight, although Magnificent Frigatebirds have black throats and thin white lines on their auxiliaries, while Great Frigatebirds have white throats.

The juvenile Magnificent Frigatebird looks similar to the female but has a white head and breast.  In contrast, juvenile Greats usually have a pale orange or tawny coloured head and breast.  However, sometimes white-headed juveniles can occur, which makes them completely distinguishable from young Magnificents.  Frigatebirds in general do not reach maturity until their fourth year, at which point they gradually begin to develop adult plumage, which often makes specific identification near impossible. 

Voice

Both species of frigatebirds remain generally silent whilst at sea, but they can often be heard clacking their beaks when flying above you.  The male Magnificent makes an "oo-oo-oo-" sound when trying to impress the female in the breeding colony, while the male Great has a distinctive rattling sound in the same situation.

Behaviour

Magnificents generally feed close inshore, which is usually done by thieving from other seabirds, particularly the blue-footed booby.  Greats are somewhat more pelagic than the Magnificents and are generally only seen inland in or around the breeding colonies (which tend to be on the outer Galapagos islands).  The majority of their feeding is done by picking food from the surface, although they also participate in a degree of thieving from other seabirds like the Magnificents. Both the Magnificent and Great males inflate their stunning red gular sacs like a balloon when trying to woo the females, which they do concurrently with vibrating their impressive outstretched wings.

Photographs kindly provided by Ralph Pannell & Anele Waters 

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