Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Magnificent Frigatebird

Fregata magnificens Mathews, 1914

89–114 cmLength230 cmWingspan1.5 kgWeight

During courtship, the male inflates its gular pouch into a red balloon.

Busiest months: January–April and October · Most records: United States, Panama, Costa Rica

Looks like Great Frigatebird

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Male all black, with a scarlet gular pouch
  2. Wings long and slender; tail deeply forked
  3. Female has a white breast and blue eye-ring
  4. Male has a purple sheen on the scapulars in sunlight

Male, female and young

Male all black, with a red gular pouch; female has a white breast and blue eye-ring; immature has a white head and underparts.

Voice

Quiet in flight; gives clucking sounds near the nest.

Similar species

Great Frigatebird
Great Frigatebird

Male scapular sheen is purple in Magnificent Frigatebird and green in Great Frigatebird.

Where and when it's recorded

Magnificent Frigatebird has been recorded at 886 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 52 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Fort De Soto ParkUnited States9,589 records
  2. Tárcoles – Tour en BoteCosta Rica4,121 records
  3. Cattle Landing – waterfrontBelize3,830 records
More places
  1. Ammo Dump PondsPanama3,352 records
  2. Curry Hammock SP – FL Keys HawkwatchUnited States2,863 records
  3. Bubali Bird SanctuaryAruba2,054 records
  4. Caye CaulkerBelize1,944 records
  5. Ensenada Lodge [Área General]Costa Rica1,719 records
  6. J. N. Ding Darling NWR – Wildlife DriveUnited States1,684 records
  7. Tranquilo Bay Eco-Adventure LodgePanama1,556 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesPanamaCosta RicaMexicoBelizeBrazilPuerto RicoTrinidad & Tobago

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), frigate petrel or man o' war is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. It occurs over tropical and subtropical waters off America, between northern Mexico and Peru on the Pacific coast and between Florida and southern Brazil along the Atlantic coast. There are also populations on the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific and the Cape Verde islands in the Atlantic.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Magnificent Frigatebird?

The Magnificent Frigatebird is about 89–114 cm long, with a wingspan of 230 cm and weighs around 1.5 kg.

Where does the Magnificent Frigatebird live?

Its breeding range: Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean: eastern Pacific Ocean (western Mexico to Ecuador), Atlantic Ocean (eastern Mexico and Florida to Brazil), and Cape Verde Islands (where almost extinct). It is most often recorded in United States, Panama and Costa Rica.

When is the best time to see the Magnificent Frigatebird?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February, March, April and October (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Magnificent Frigatebird endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Magnificent Frigatebird as Least Concern.

What does the Magnificent Frigatebird eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Magnificent Frigatebird in?

It belongs to the family Frigatebirds (Fregatidae), order Suliformes.

At a glance

Length
89–114 cm
Wingspan
230 cm
Weight
1.5 kg
Habitat
Ocean
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
642 mm
Tail
440 mm
Bill
122 mm
Tarsus
29 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean: eastern Pacific Ocean (western Mexico to Ecuador), Atlantic Ocean (eastern Mexico and Florida to Brazil), and Cape Verde Islands (where almost extinct)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Frigatebirds Fregatidae
Genus
Fregata

Other birds in the genus Fregata

Ascension FrigatebirdAscension FrigatebirdFregata aquilaLesser FrigatebirdLesser FrigatebirdFregata arielGreat FrigatebirdGreat FrigatebirdFregata minorChristmas FrigatebirdChristmas FrigatebirdFregata andrewsi
Magnificent Frigatebird

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Ligocsicnarf89. ↗

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