Birds and Birding's Guide to:

Watching THE STORK-LIKE BIRDS

THE FRIGATE-BIRDS (Family Fregatida)

Sharing the tropical oceans with the Tropic-birds are the so-called Frigate-birds or Man-o'-war Birds, of which three forms only are known.

They are very powerful flying birds from thirty to forty inches in length, remarkable at once for the extremely short tarsus, greatly elongated wings, and a long, deeply forked swallow-like tail. In the mature males the plumage is black throughout, though the adult male of F. arid has conspicuous white flank-patches, while the feathers of the back are glossed with metallic green and reddish purple.

The females are blackish above but have the breast and sides white, while the immature young have the head, neck, and upper part of the chest as well as the middle of the lower breast and abdomen white. Further distinguishing marks are afforded by the very long, strongly hooked bill, the flattened, fringed claw on the middle toe, and the very narrow web.

The bones of the skeleton are extremely pneumatic; perhaps more so than in any other bird, for the Frigate-bird is a marvel of lightness and grace on the wing. In the male there is a curious pouch under the bill which is capable of inflation at the will of the bird to sometimes half or more the size of the body. This is bright scarlet in color, and contrasts strongly with dark plumage.

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