Great Frigatebird
Fregata minor
They have the largest wing-area-to-body-weight ratio of any bird and can sleep in mid-air using one half of their brain at a time.
- Scientific name
- Fregata minor
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Suliformes › Fregatidae › Fregata
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- aquatic
- Habitat
- Tropical and subtropical oceans and remote oceanic islands.
- Diet
- Flying fish, squid, and food stolen from other seabirds through kleptoparasitism.
- Range
- Galápagos Islands, Hawaii, Seychelles, Christmas Island, Great Barrier Reef
- Size
- Wingspan of 2.1 to 2.4 meters; weight 1 to 1.6 kilograms.
- Lifespan
- 30-40 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Invasive predators (rats/cats) on nesting islands, habitat degradation, and overfishing of prey species.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless but defensive. Maintain a distance of at least 15 meters, especially during nesting seasons. Do not attempt to touch or feed. If pecked, clean the wound with soap and water and monitor for infection.
The great frigatebird ( Fregata minor ) is a large seabird in the frigatebird family. Major nesting populations are found in the Pacific (including the Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic.
Photo: James Weaver, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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