The juvenile great frigatebird (Fregata minor ridgwayi) has a certain “naughtiness” and even a bit spookiness to it, and yes that is definitely what is to become of this juvie.
As adults they are masters of treachery and theft. They know when a boobie is returning home to feed its chick, and times its interception masterly to when the chick is to receive the regurgitated food from its parent. It’s a race against time, and if the parent and chick fumbles even for a second, the frigate is there to snatch it. And what an elegant thief! It’s like some bizarre ballet, as it swoops down and just at the right moment utilizes its beak like a precision instrument and flies away with its catch. For a human it’s like using chop stick or tweezers to catch a moving piece of meat in flight!
This bird species is wonderfully terrible, and elegantly bad! And here the chick sits among its future targets, and is left in peace as if none of the birds know what it will be capable of.
It sounds like this:
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Last updated on 30 June 2024