Great Frigatebird

A large black seabird that holds its wings in a distinctive crook. The long, forked tail may appear pointed when folded. 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). Nests in trees and bushes on tropical islands. Often seen flying along the shoreline, sometimes very high, and sometimes inland. Chases other seabirds to steal their prey.

Great frigatebirds (Fregata minor) are rarely seen on land in Sri Lanka, but they have been observed in Chilaw. They are large seabirds that typically live in tropical and subtropical ocean regions.

The great frigatebird's diet consists mainly of flying fish and squid, which they snatch from the ocean's surface. They also eat other fish, jellyfish, and discarded fish from fishing boats.