| Antigua
Birds: |
MAGNIFICENT FRIGATE BIRD
Family Fregatidae
Fregatus magnificens
These
large graceful sea birds, with forked tail and angular
wings, widespread in the tropics, may be seen soaring
effortlessly against the blue of the tropic sky. It is
indeed a magnificent bird, as its scientific name
suggests.
Barbuda boasts the largest Frigate breeding and nesting
colony in the world. It is a tourist attraction, for
the birds do not appear to mind visitors and allow
close-up photography. Males are glossy black, and when
courting they display a bright red pouch. Females are
larger, with the sides and breast white. In
Antigua and Barbuda,
they are known as ‘Weather Birds’, as on the approach of
a storm they may be seen circling inland.
|
|
Photo by Peter Duce |
|
Adults have a length of just over 3 feet and a wingspan
of from 7 - 8 ft. and weight of about 3 lbs. With this
wing-span/weight ratio, the birds appear to ‘hang’ in
the sky, for they are great
soarers.
In a flat calm, Frigates are known to fly at 22 mph.
Fishermen use
them to locate schools of fish as they may be seen circling and
diving over schools of fish. They dive for albacore and flying
fish, but also eat jelly fish, crustaceans and young turtles.
They rob other seabirds of their newly caught food, hence their
name of Frigate or Man-o-War.
The birds attain an age of between 5 - 7 years before the first
breeding. Flat nests of twigs and grasses are built. One white
egg per nest appears from mid-September until late March. The
young are fed by regurgitation and the young fly from 149 -207
days after hatching. They sleep so soundly that it’s possible
catch them with bare hands; this must have been a blessing for
the Amerindians, when hunting for food. The Indian name for them
was ‘Manor’. A frigate bird has been recorded as having reached
the ripe old age of 34 years. |
| Click here for more
Antigua birds. |
| |
|
|
|
