Lesser Frigatebird — Australian Bird Identification Guide

Bird guideLesser Frigatebird

The smallest of the frigatebirds, but note that the female is larger than the male.

Spot this species Read on Wikipedia

⚠️Not listed

🍃Indigenous: Sea Hawk, Least Frigatebird, Man-O'-War Hawk, Lesser Frigate-Bird

At a glance

FamilyFrigatebirds

SizeLarge

RarityCommon

HabitatIt occurs over tropical and subtropical waters across the Indian and Pacific Oceans as well as off the Atlantic coast of Brazil.

Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from October to January.

Sounds

Sound sample

0:000:00

Recorded by Powys, V.

Range map

Occurrence window

653visible hotspots

5429visible records

4states

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

Adult males are almost entirely black with a red throat and white spurs emanating outwards from the body onto the wing. Adult females have a black belly and throat, a white breast and hind collar, with similar white spurs on their sides. Juvenile and immature plumages are variable and are best separated from other frigatebirds by size when comparison is possible. Mostly silent except while breeding in oceanic islands. Strongly pelagic during non-breeding season but wind-blown or fatigued birds can be found from continental coasts.