Everglades National Park Birding Tour: Frigate

The Magnificent Frigatebird, also known as the Man O’War bird because of its large, imposing size, its speed and the fact that it is often seen pirating food from other birds in flight. For its size the frigate is an amazingly agile flier that snatches food - jellyfish, squid, fish or small turtles, off the surface of the ocean and steals food from other birds. The breeding cycle of the frigate is very long - the females only breed every other year - as they care for their young for over a year. The males care for the young for part of the time, then abandon the nest and female, seemingly to leave to go find another mate. They are high fliers with amazing eye sight and are often seen overhead while on the water in Everglades National Park.

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