The Ascension frigatebird is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae which breeds on Boatswain Bird Island and Ascension Island in the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
Ascension frigatebird
Adult female
Juvenile
Chick
Frigatebirds are a family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, Fregata. All have predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forked tails and long hooked bills. Females have white underbellies and males have a distinctive red gular pouch, which they inflate during the breeding season to attract females. Their wings are long and pointed and can span up to 2.3 metres (7.5 ft), the largest wing area to body weight ratio of any bird.
Frigatebird
Fossil of Eocene species Limnofregata azygosternon
Male magnificent frigatebird in the Galapagos Islands
Magnificent frigatebirds drinking freshwater