Great Frigatebird — Australian Bird Identification Guide

Bird guideGreat Frigatebird

The long, forked tail may appear pointed when folded.

Spot this species Read on Wikipedia

⚠️Not listed

🍃Indigenous: Man-O'-War Hawk, Great Frigate-Bird, Greater Frigate-Bird, Frigate-Bird, Man-O'-War Bird, Sea Hawk

At a glance

FamilyFrigatebirds

SizeGiant

RarityUncommon

HabitatThere are major nesting populations in the tropical Pacific Ocean , such as Hawaii and the Galápagos Islands ; in the Indian Ocean , colonies can be found in the Seychelles (on Aldabra and Aride Islands ) and Mauritius , and there is a tiny population in the South Atlantic , mostly on and around St.

Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from October to November.

Sounds

Sound sample

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Recorded by AUDEVARD Aurélien

Range map

Occurrence window

273visible hotspots

3467visible records

3states

Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

Males are all black with a red throat pouch. Females have a white breast. Immatures have a white head and breast. All-dark plumage of male and lack of a pale “armpit” in female and immature separate this species from Lesser and Christmas Island Frigatebirds. Separation from Magnificent Frigatebird can be difficult; note pale wing panel in males and indistinct pale throat in females (Magnificent females have a clean all-dark head). Chases other seabirds to steal their prey.