Where Is Frigate Bird Found?

Frigatebirds are a family of seabirds found across tropical and subtropical oceans, with five extant species classified in the single genus, Fregata. These birds have predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forked tails, and long hooked bills. Females have white underbellies, and males have bare patches of red skin on their throats.

The largest species, Fregata magnificens, is found on both coasts of America, the Caribbean Sea, and Cape Verde. In the Central and South Pacific, colonies are found on most islands groups from Wake Island to the Galapagos to New Caledonia, with a few pairs nesting on Australia. The magnificent frigatebird, also known as the pirate bird, condor of the oceans, and Man-o-War bird, is widespread in the tropical Atlantic, breeding colonially in trees in Florida, the Caribbean, and along the Pacific coast of the Americas from Mexico to Ecuador, including the Galápagos Islands.

These birds range along coasts and islands in tropical and subtropical waters, nesting and roosting in mangrove cays on coral reefs and in low trees and shrubs on islands. They forage over warm oceans far out to sea, along the coast, and in shallow lagoons. Magnificent Frigatebirds soar along the coast in the southern United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean staying near water, making them an ideal excuse for a walk on the beach. They tend to take flight later in the afternoon when winds and thermals are greatest, helping keep them aloft.

In North America, Magnificent Frigatebirds are most commonly seen in Florida but also appear regularly along the Gulf Coast and strays have turned up in many parts of the continent. The Boatswain Bird Island Sanctuary, located off the coast of Letterbox Peninsula, is a haven for many seabird species to nest without the threat of invasive species. It is also home to endemic species of psuedoscorpion.

Furgatebirds, also known as frigatebirds, frigate-birds, or even the frigate petrel, are found across all sub-tropical and tropical oceans.