Colours

Distinguishing features

The male is mostly all black save for a white patch on the flank which extends on to the underwing as a spur. Males also have a pale bar on the upper wing. Males have a red throat pouch.

Females have a black head and neck with a white collar and breast as well as a spur extending on to the underwing.The female also has a narrow red ring around the eye.

Juveniles and immature birds are more difficult to differentiate but the presence of the spurs of white in the armpits is a helpful distinguishing sign. They also have a pale eye-ring. (Wikipedia)

Size

Wingspan

Synonyms

Distribution

Distribution and habitat preferences

It is the most common and widespread frigatebird in Australian seas. It is common in tropical seas breeding on remote islands, including Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean in recent years.

These birds are most likely to be seen from the mainland prior to the onset of a tropical cyclone, and once this abates they disappear again. (Wikipedia)

Local abundance

Diet

Their diet mainly consists of squid and flying fish scooped up from the surface of the sea though some females are kleptoparasites, supplementing their diet in a limited way from the catches of other sea birds. (Wikipedia)

Web resources

References