Put simply, they're high, tight, neat and any ornithologist worth his or her salt would immediately note my scrotum's similarity to the inflated chest of a male magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens).
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A magnificent frigatebird is perched on a sprinkler with its red balloon of a chest puffed out; a stairway was used as a timeline for bird evolution, from fish to reptiles to the feathered vertebrates.
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The magnificent frigatebird was originally considered to belong to the species Fregata aquila but in 1914 the Australian ornithologist Gregory Mathews proposed that the magnificent frigatebird should be considered as a separate species with the binomial name Fregata magnificens. Of the four other species within the genus Fregata, genetic analysis has shown that the magnificent frigatebird is most closely related to the Ascension frigatebird (Fregata aquila).
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There were sightings of a magnificent frigatebird, a tropical bird with a two- metre wingspan, over the lake in 2008.
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Reptiles include the green iguana (Iguana iguana). There are 42 birds species including Columbina dove species, brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) and magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens). The mangrove finch (Camarhynchus heliobates) is seriously endangered.
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Lizards found in the area include Chioninia stangeri and Hemidactylus bouvieri. The islet is a nesting area for the brown booby, magnificent frigatebird and Cape Verde shearwater. Birds breeding on the adjacent mainland coast include Iago sparrow, common kestrel, common quail, cream-colored courser, Kentish plover and many other species.
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A few pairs of white-tailed tropicbirds are also nesting here. Little Tobago is also a good site from which to see birds which breed on neighbouring small islands, including red-footed booby and magnificent frigatebird. The latter species is frequently seen harassing the tropicbirds, boobies and terns. A few species of reptiles have been recorded on Little Tobago.
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The magnificent frigatebird is widespread in the tropical Atlantic, breeding colonially in trees in Florida, the Caribbean and also along the Pacific coast of the Americas from Mexico to Ecuador, including the Galápagos Islands. It has occurred as a vagrant as far from its normal range as the Isle of Man, Denmark, Spain, England, and British Columbia.
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The islands have no beaches, but are surrounded by rocky headlands. Their vegetation is Atlantic Forest. They provide food, shelter and nesting sites for many bird species including the kelp gull (Larus dominicanus), royal tern (Thalasseus maximus) and South American tern (Sterna hirundinacea). Abrigo island is an important resting place for the magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens).
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This species feeds mainly on fish, squid, jellyfish and crustaceans. Individual bird diets vary depending on food availability and preferred hunting technique. It is a kleptoparasite, pecking at other seabirds to force them to disgorge their meals. After forcing the other seabird to regurgitate its meal, the magnificent frigatebird will dive and catch the prey before it hits the surface of the water.
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Park entry at Crab Cay The mangroves range from – in height. The predominant species is red mangrove and there is also smaller populations of black mangrove and white mangrove. There are 74 recorded species of bird in the area. Noteworthy marine species include: Audubon's shearwater, magnificent frigatebird, brown booby and royal tern; non-marine: green heron and bananaquit (Coereba flaveola tricolor).
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It is estimated that nests on the island have increased significantly, with around 6000 eggs laid on the island by the Hawksbills each year. Laying season for the turtles is from May through to November, with hatchings taking place September through to February. Other islands species include the American yellow warbler, the white-necked puffbird, hummingbirds and the magnificent frigatebird.
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They have few predators here, making this nesting site is one of the most important in the world for these endangered birds. Codrington Lagoon's magnificent frigatebird colony, the largest in the Caribbean region, had an estimated 2,500 nesting pairs prior to Hurricane Irma landfall in September 2017. The lagoon was inundated by Hurricane Irma's storm surge and its impact on the colony is still unknown.
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The breeding marine avifauna of Alijos Rocks currently consists of Leach's storm-petrel (a presumed breeder, probably a few pairs), red-billed tropicbird (14 birds), masked booby (100), and sooty tern (250). The magnificent frigatebird is a regular winter visitor but probably does not breed. The Laysan albatross is currently an annual visitor to Alijos Rocks during its winter breeding season, and may start to nest there in the near future.
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South Water Caye Marine Reserve is the largest marine reserve in the Stann Creek district of Belize. It was established in 1996 and covers of mangrove and coastal ecosystems. It includes the crown reserve of Man-O-War Caye, a nesting site for the brown booby and magnificent frigatebird. In 2017, National Geographic named Pelican Beach on South Water Caye one of the 21 best beaches in the world.
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A Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) in flight in the Caribbean The high islet features grass and bush flora. Its protected area measures . Bird life on the island has included a frigatebird colony, although this has been significantly diminished due to the removal of bird eggs. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Iguana delicatissima or Lesser Antillean Green Iguana, and West Indian Iguana have been found on Île Frégate.
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The lesser frigatebird was first described as Atagen ariel by the English zoologist George Gray in 1845 from a specimen collected on Raine Island, Queensland, Australia. The lesser frigatebird is one of five closely related species of the genus Fregata. The other four are: the great frigatebird (Fregata minor), the Christmas frigatebird (Frigata andrewsi), the magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) and the Ascension frigatebird (Fregata aquila). The genus is the only member of the family Fregatidae.
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The magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. With a length of and wingspan of it is the largest species of frigatebird. It occurs over tropical and subtropical waters off America, between northern Mexico and Perú on the Pacific coast and between Florida and southern Brazil along the Atlantic coast. There are also populations on the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific and the Cape Verde islands in the Atlantic.
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However, the same study also found that the magnificent frigatebird on the Galápagos Islands is genetically and morphologically distinct. Based on this study, the Galápagos population has not been exchanging any genes with their mainland counterparts for several hundred thousand years. Given these findings, the Galápagos population of this tropical seabird may be a genetically distinct species warranting a separate conservation status. This small population of genetically unique magnificent frigatebirds is vulnerable.
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The islands are also important breeding areas for the magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), and for a subspecies of red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus mesonauta ). Prior to colonization, the only mammals on the islands were bats. Several species have since been introduced to the islands, including sheep, goats, and cattle, green monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus), slender mongoose (Galerella sanguinea), European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), black rat (Rattus rattus) and brown rat (Rattus norvegicus).Duarte, Maria & Romeiras, Maria. (2009).
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Dry Tortugas National Park has an official bird list of 299 species. Of these, only eight species frequently nest within the park: sooty tern, brown noddy, brown pelican, magnificent frigatebird, masked booby, roseate tern, bridled tern and mourning dove.Roseate Terns recently returned to nest on Bush Key. The small Bridled Tern colony on Long Key began in 2007 with a single pair, and represents the first confirmed breeding of this species within the park.
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They are omnivores like most Larus gulls, generally scavenging or stealing from nests and from fishers, but will also catch fish, small crustaceans, and newly hatched lizards, iguanas, and turtles. They also feed on sea lion placenta. On Genovesa they exploit the kleptoparasitic behavior of the Magnificent frigatebird, capitalizing on the botched attempts by these frigatebirds to steal fish from various nesting seabirds. Potential nest predators include owls, frigatebirds and other lava gulls, as well as introduced mammals.
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The magnificent frigatebird is a large, lightly built seabird with brownish-black plumage, long narrow wings and a deeply forked tail. The male has a striking red gular sac which it inflates to attract a mate. The female is slightly larger than the male and has a white breast and belly. Frigatebirds feed on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (often flying fish), and sometimes indulge in kleptoparasitism, harassing other birds to force them to regurgitate their food.
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The island was proclaimed a wildlife sanctuary in 1934 primarily for protection of seabirds granting it full legal protection by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry Division. Key species identified in the sanctuary protection include the sooty tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) and brown noddy (Anous stolidus). The island is a nesting ground for these species during the months of March and July. Other species noted on the island include the sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis), grey-breasted martin (Progne chalybea), magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), and brown booby (Sula leucogaster).
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The flora on the reef islands is mostly coconut trees. On the western half of Half Moon Caye there is a rare surviving example of an atoll siricote (Cordia sebestena) forest, while there is natural vegetation on Sandbore Cay. Half Moon Caye is home to a rookery of magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), as well as a nesting colony of some 4000 red-footed booby (Sula sula). A colony of white-crowned pigeons (Columba leucocephala) formerly nested on Long Cay but has been wiped out by overhunting.
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Isla Iguana is an island wildlife refuge five kilometers, or a 20-minute boat ride, from Playa El Arenal. The 52-hectare island is surrounded by an extensive coral reef, which gives it two powdery-soft white sand beaches: Playa El Cirial (252 meters long) and Playita del Faro (37 meters long). It is also home to more than 62 bird species, and the largest nesting site in Panama for the magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), with a population of more than 5000. The island also houses several reptile species, including the black iguana (Ctenosaura similis) for which the island is named.
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Three species of endangered sea turtles, the green turtle, the hawksbill turtle, and the leatherback turtle also frequently nested in the affected areas. The situation for these turtles was critical after the spill as the turtle nesting season was to begin in the months following the spill. Several endangered and threatened species of birds also used areas surrounding the spill to rest and feed. These species of birds include the royal tern, sandwich tern, common tern, roseale tern, least tern, brown pelican, magnificent frigatebird, Audubon shearater, American coot, white-checked pintial, osprey, and the peregrine falcon.
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The island is well known for the yearly passage of the humpback whale and their newborn pay its shores from August to October during their southward migration. Furthermore, one can find hammerhead shark, whitetip reef shark, sea turtle, whale shark and moray eel in the waters around Gorgona Island. The most common water birds found on or near the island are the blue-footed booby, brown pelican and magnificent frigatebird. The brown booby breeding population nesting in Gorgona Natural National Park is small, but is the most important breeding territory for Sula leucogaster etesiaca in the world.
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Among the mammals protected in the reserve are: the mantled howler monkey, the jaguar, the margay, the neotropical otter, the Guayaquil squirrel, the tayra and the white-tailed deer. Reptiles found in the reserve include: the American crocodile, the eyelash viper and lizards of genus Dicrodon. A total of 175 bird species have been found in the reserve, including: the grey-cheeked parakeet, the yellow- faced parrotlet, the Peruvian antpitta, the grey-backed hawk, the magnificent frigatebird, the white-tailed jay, the common black hawk, the American yellow warbler, the great-tailed grackle and the pale-legged hornero.
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Isla Iguana is an island wildlife refuge that can be reached with a 20-minute boat ride from Playa El Arenal. The 52-hectare island is surrounded by an extensive coral reef, which gives it two powdery- soft white sand beaches: Playa El Cirial (252 meters long) and Playita del Faro (37 meters long). The refuge is home to more than 62 bird species, and a major nesting site for the magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), with a population of more than 5000. The island also houses several reptile species, including the black iguana (Ctenosaura similis) for which the island is named.
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The Guianan-Amazon Mangroves support very diverse populations of fish and migratory birds, as well as other wildlife. Typical species of fauna include scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber), American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), and giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis). Endangered mammals include black-headed spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps), white-cheeked spider monkey (Ateles marginatus), black bearded saki (Chiropotes satanas), cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) and giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis). Endangered amphibians include Lesser Antilles robber frog (Pristimantis urichi).
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The word frigatebird derives from the French mariners' name for the bird La Frégate - a frigate or fast warship. The etymology of the name was given by French naturalist Jean-Baptiste du Tertre when describing the magnificent frigatebird in 1667. English mariners referred to frigatebirds as Man-of-War birds. This name was used by the English explorer William Dampier in his book An Account of a New Voyage Around the World published in 1697: > The Man-of-War (as it is called by the English) is about the bigness of a > Kite, and in shape like it, but black; and the neck is red.
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Pelican in the nest on one of Los Haitises islands The fauna of Los Haitises is of great variety, and due to the park's diversity of physical geographic zones, it has the greatest diversity of fauna among the protected natural areas in the country. Two endemic mammal species, the Hispaniolan hutia (Plagiodontia aedium) and the Hispaniolan solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus), are threatened with extinction. Being a coastal and marine park, it contains a large variety of birds, including most of the species endemic to the country. These include the brown pelican or alcatraz (Pelecanus occidentalis), magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), Hispaniolan amazon (Amazona ventralis), barn owl (Tyto alba), and stygian owl (Asio stygius).
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Efforts to protect the island began in 1996 when the Vida Silvestre Organization, AC and Salinas del Pacifico SA de CV began a partnership to protect the native flora and fauna. Isla del Carmen supports many bird species, such as the brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), the scissor- tailed flycatcher, magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificent) and the blue- footed booby (Sula nebouxii) as well as various reptiles and rodent mammals. The island provides nesting sites for seabirds such as the yellow-footed gull (Larus livens), the sparrow hawk (Pandion haliaetus) and the American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus). A program to reestablish the once native Big Horn Sheep population on the island began in 1995.
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The islands are home to an estimated 8,000 birds. Studies by the Centre of Sea Studies of the Federal University of Paraná almost twenty years before the reserve was formed showed the great importance of the islands for the brown booby (Sula leucogaster) and magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), which reproduce around the year. The islands are also used seasonally by the kelp gull (Larus dominicanus), black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) and great egret (Ardea alba), and in some years by the South American tern (Sterna hirundinacea). About 44 fish species use the waters around the island for food and refuge, including the endangered dusky grouper (Mycteroperca marginata) and Atlantic goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara).
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The park features the only nesting colonies of sooty tern, brown noddy, magnificent frigatebird, and masked booby in the contiguous United States. Birdwatching activity peaks each spring (usually April) when dozens of migratory bird species can pass through the park in a single day. Many birds land inside the parade grounds of Fort Jefferson where they are often observed at close range. Common migratory warblers include the northern parula, American redstart, prairie warbler, hooded warbler, palm warbler, black-and- white warbler, common yellowthroat, yellow-rumped warbler, ovenbird, northern waterthrush, black-throated blue warbler, blackpoll warbler, and Cape May warbler, with more than 20 additional warbler species having shown up at least once.
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