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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Animals

Seals, octopuses, jellyfish and more

Magnificent frigatebird

Fregata magnificens

Look up for long, angular wings hanging almost still, and, near colonies in season, the males' vivid red throat pouches. Never promised.

Least ConcernIn 52 Atlas countries

Least Concern (IUCN, 2020) means it is not at high risk of extinction worldwide today.

Male magnificent frigatebird perched on a mangrove branch
Photo: Darius Wiles on Unsplash
Female magnificent frigatebird perched in a tree
Photo: Darius Wiles on Unsplash
Male magnificent frigatebird with red throat patch
Photo: Darius Wiles on Unsplash
Magnificent frigatebird snatching food from the sea surface
Photo: Adrien Stachowiak on Unsplash
Magnificent frigatebird soaring against a blue sky
Photo: Adrien Stachowiak on Unsplash
Group of magnificent frigatebirds soaring above water
Photo: Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash
Magnificent frigatebirds flying low over the water
Photo: Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash
Juvenile magnificent frigatebird soaring overhead
Photo: Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash

Photos show the species, not always the places on this page.

Length

Body about 0.89 to 1.14 m (2.9 to 3.7 ft); wingspan about 2.17 to 2.24 m (7.1 to 7.3 ft); females are often larger

Weight

Usually about 1.0 to 1.9 kg (2.2 to 4.2 lb); females are heavier than males

Next to a person

Its wingspan is wider than a tall adult is tall, yet it weighs under 2 kg

What it eats

Mainly small fish, often flying fish, and squid snatched from near the surface. They also chase other seabirds to steal food, though this often fails. Also jellyfish, crustaceans, sometimes turtle hatchlings, seabird eggs and chicks, and scraps around boats.

Around people

Calm, give space

How it lives

Frigatebirds spend almost all their time in the air, riding rising warm air and snatching prey from the surface without landing on the water. They sometimes chase other seabirds until they drop their catch. They nest in colonies in mangroves and bushes, and males puff up a red throat pouch to attract females. The single egg is incubated for about 40 to 60 days, and the female may care for the chick for up to a year.

Where it goes

Magnificent frigatebirds are not neat long-distance migrants. They stay all year in their tropical range, with some seasonal shifts, and storms can carry birds far inland or north.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

Birds are often split into two subspecies: F. m. magnificens in the Galápagos and F. m. rothschildi in the Caribbean and mainland Americas. Galápagos birds have been isolated for a long time despite their flying ability, and tend to be larger. Caribbean colonies differ little from one another.

Meet it respectfully

Never chase roosting flocks, go into nesting trees or bushes, or crowd displaying males, and use no flash. Rules differ by place: in the Galápagos, park rules ask for at least 2 m (6 ft) from wildlife and a licensed naturalist guide. At colonies like Barbuda's Codrington Lagoon, we stay in the boat, keep quiet and fly no drones.

Fun fact

Tap the bulb to light it up.

Where you may meet it

Magnificent frigatebird in the Ocean Atlas

Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.

FijiTanzaniaW. SaharaCanadaUnited States of AmericaKazakhstanUzbekistanPapua New GuineaIndonesiaArgentinaChileDem. Rep. CongoSomaliaKenyaSudanChadHaitiDominican Rep.RussiaBahamasFalkland Is.NorwayGreenlandFr. S. Antarctic LandsTimor-LesteSouth AfricaLesothoMexicoUruguayBrazilBoliviaPeruColombiaPanamaCosta RicaNicaraguaHondurasEl SalvadorGuatemalaBelizeVenezuelaGuyanaSurinameFranceEcuadorPuerto RicoJamaicaCubaZimbabweBotswanaNamibiaSenegalMaliMauritaniaBeninNigerNigeriaCameroonTogoGhanaCôte d'IvoireGuineaGuinea-BissauLiberiaSierra LeoneBurkina FasoCentral African Rep.CongoGabonEq. GuineaZambiaMalawiMozambiqueeSwatiniAngolaBurundiIsraelLebanonMadagascarPalestineGambiaTunisiaAlgeriaJordanUnited Arab EmiratesQatarKuwaitIraqOmanVanuatuCambodiaThailandLaosMyanmarVietnamNorth KoreaSouth KoreaMongoliaIndiaBangladeshBhutanNepalPakistanAfghanistanTajikistanKyrgyzstanTurkmenistanIranSyriaArmeniaSwedenBelarusUkrainePolandAustriaHungaryMoldovaRomaniaLithuaniaLatviaEstoniaGermanyBulgariaGreeceTurkeyAlbaniaCroatiaSwitzerlandLuxembourgBelgiumNetherlandsPortugalSpainIrelandNew CaledoniaSolomon Is.New ZealandAustraliaSri LankaChinaTaiwanItalyDenmarkUnited KingdomIcelandAzerbaijanGeorgiaPhilippinesMalaysiaBruneiSloveniaFinlandSlovakiaCzechiaEritreaJapanParaguayYemenSaudi ArabiaN. CyprusCyprusMoroccoEgyptLibyaEthiopiaDjiboutiSomalilandUgandaRwandaBosnia and Herz.MacedoniaSerbiaMontenegroKosovoTrinidad and TobagoS. SudanGalápagos, EcuadorLittle Cayman, Cayman IslandsGrand Cayman, Cayman IslandsCayman Brac, Cayman IslandsCôte des Arcadins, HaitiÎle-à-Vache, HaitiThree Bays Protected Area, HaitiGrand Turk, Turks and Caicos IslandsSalt Cay, Turks and Caicos IslandsProvidenciales and Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos IslandsWest Caicos and French Cay, Turks and Caicos IslandsSalt Island and the RMS Rhone, British Virgin IslandsNorman Island and the Indians, British Virgin IslandsVirgin Gorda, British Virgin IslandsAnegada and Horseshoe Reef, British Virgin IslandsCades Reef and the southwest coast, Antigua and BarbudaEnglish Harbour and Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua and BarbudaBarbuda and Codrington Lagoon, Antigua and BarbudaLa Ventana, MexicoGuadalupe Island, MexicoFlorida Keys (Key Largo), United StatesLa Jolla and the Channel Islands, United StatesMaui, United StatesOʻahu, United StatesSan Diego and La Jolla, United StatesJuneau and Southeast Alaska, United StatesGlacier Bay, United StatesSeward and Kenai Fjords, United StatesDrake and Caño, Costa RicaQuepos and Golfo Dulce, Costa RicaSanta Catalina and Coiba, PanamaGulf of Chiriquí, PanamaPearl Islands, PanamaIsla Iguana and Isla Cañas, PanamaBocas del Toro and Bastimentos, PanamaGuna Yala, PanamaCulebra, Puerto RicoVieques, Puerto RicoLa Parguera, Puerto RicoRincon and the Mona Passage, Puerto RicoFernando de Noronha, BrazilAbrolhos, BrazilPraia do Forte, BrazilSanta Catarina whale coast, BrazilBonito, BrazilPlacencia and the Southern Reef, BelizeMalpelo, ColombiaGorgona, ColombiaNuquí, Bahía Solano and Utría, ColombiaProvidencia and Santa Catalina, ColombiaSan Andrés, ColombiaLittle Bay and Shoal Bay, AnguillaLos Roques Archipelago, VenezuelaMochima, VenezuelaRoatán, HondurasUtila, HondurasGuanaja, HondurasCayos Cochinos, HondurasJardines de la Reina, CubaMaria la Gorda and Guanahacabibes, CubaSt John and the national park, US Virgin IslandsSpeyside and Little Tobago, Trinidad and TobagoBuccoo Reef, Trinidad and TobagoTurtle Beach, Tobago, Trinidad and TobagoGrande Riviere, Trinidad, Trinidad and TobagoPort Antonio and Negril, JamaicaBouillante and the Cousteau Reserve, GuadeloupeWestpunt, CuraçaoWillemstad and the central coast, CuraçaoCuraçao Marine Park (southeast coast), CuraçaoKlein Curaçao, CuraçaoParke Marino, ArubaPalm Beach and West Point, ArubaBayahibe and the south coast, Dominican RepublicCorn Islands, NicaraguaSan Juan del Sur and La Flor, NicaraguaChacocente, NicaraguaBonaire and Klein Bonaire, Caribbean NetherlandsSaba and Saba Bank, Caribbean NetherlandsSint Eustatius, Caribbean NetherlandsLevera, GrenadaMolinière Bay, GrenadaCarriacou, GrenadaBimini, The BahamasAndros, The BahamasExuma Cays, The BahamasEleuthera, The BahamasAmatique Bay and Livingston, GuatemalaIztapa, GuatemalaLos Cóbanos, El SalvadorJiquilisco Bay, El SalvadorMáncora, Los Órganos and Cabo Blanco, PeruPunta Sal and the Tumbes coast, PeruParacas and the Ballestas Islands, PeruSoufrière and the Pitons, Saint LuciaAnse Chastanet, Saint LuciaWest coast deep water, Saint LuciaGrande Anse, Saint LuciaColombier and the marine reserve, Saint BarthélemyMan of War Shoal Marine Park, Sint MaartenTobago Cays, Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesUnion Island, Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesFrench coast of Saint Martin, Saint MartinLittle Bay and the west coast, MontserratCarlisle Bay, BarbadosFolkestone Marine Park, BarbadosWest coast nesting beaches, BarbadosShell Beach, GuyanaDominica, DominicaThe Narrows, Saint Kitts and NevisSoutheast Peninsula, Saint Kitts and NevisLe Carbet and the Caribbean coast, MartiniqueAwala Yalimapo and the Amana reserve, French GuianaGalibi, SurinameBraamspunt, SurinameCabo Polonio, UruguayIsla de Lobos, UruguayPond Inlet and the Nunavut floe edge, CanadaDigby Neck and Brier Island, CanadaSable Island, CanadaPuerto Madryn and Punta Loma, ArgentinaPenínsula Valdés and Puerto Pirámides, ArgentinaReef platform and north shore, BermudaSal, Cabo VerdeBoa Vista, Cabo VerdeChiloé and the Gulf of Corcovado, ChileFrancisco Coloane, Strait of Magellan, ChilePunta de Choros and the Humboldt Archipelago, ChileRapa Nui, ChileRobinson Crusoe Island (Juan Fernández), ChileFaial and Horta, PortugalMadeira, PortugalPico (Madalena and Lajes), PortugalPrincess Alice Bank, Portugal

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AnguillaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArubaThe BahamasBarbadosBelizeBermudaBrazilBritish Virgin IslandsCabo VerdeCanadaCaribbean NetherlandsCayman IslandsChileColombiaCosta RicaCubaCuraçaoDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEl SalvadorFrench GuianaGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuyanaHaitiHondurasJamaicaMartiniqueMexicoMontserratNicaraguaPanamaPeruPortugalPuerto RicoSaint BarthélemySaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint MartinSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSint MaartenSurinameTrinidad and TobagoTurks and Caicos IslandsUnited StatesUruguayUS Virgin IslandsVenezuela
Sources for this page

Facts checked 26 September 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.

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Swim with humpback whales in Moʻorea, September 2027

from CHF 4,500

See the trip →