Species group · Birds

Frigatebirds

WAnimals has 2 species of frigatebird, all in the family Fregatidae.

2 species
1 family
63 countries
18 parks
Weight
754 g – 1.9 kg
Length
75 cm – 1.1 m
Lifespan
25 – 30 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 2.

All 2 species of frigatebirds on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

2 Least Concern

No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 63 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • The male inflates his striking red throat pouch like a balloon in courtship.

    From Magnificent Frigatebird

  • It feeds on fish, squid, jellyfish and crustaceans, often robbed in mid-air from other seabirds.

    From Magnificent Frigatebird

  • Raising a single chick can take a whole year, one of the longest breeding cycles of any bird.

    From Magnificent Frigatebird

  • It is the smallest of the five frigatebirds, at about 75 cm against the well over a metre of the great frigatebird.

    From Lesser Frigatebird

  • Like all frigatebirds, it takes fish in flight from the surface of the sea, often flying fish, without ever settling on the water.

    From Lesser Frigatebird

  • It was described in 1845 from a specimen collected on Raine Island, in Queensland, under the original name Atagen ariel.

    From Lesser Frigatebird

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one