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Dominica Botanic Gardens
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    • Florida's Fairchild Garden
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Birds of the Botanic Gardens

Magnificent Frigatebird: Fregata magnificens; Local name: Frigate, Fwegad, Sizo;
Family: Frigatidae (Frigatebirds)

Description: The Magnificent Frigatebird is a large, black, high soaring, seabird, 89-114 cm long (35-45 in), famous for its wide wingspan of 7-8 ft (2.1-2.4 m), the longest in Dominica, and widest in proportion to weight of any bird; Frigatebirds have long, hooked, gray bills; long, narrow, pointed wings, with a pronounced forward bend in the middle; tail is often forked (like a scissors, hence local name Sizo or scissors); legs and feet are dark gray; females are slightly bigger than males and have a large, white patch across chest; juveniles have white head and chest; breeding males have a striking, brilliant red throat pouch, which is hugely inflated during courtship; Frigatebirds are agile fliers that rarely, if ever, land on water; they always take their food in flight, snatching it off the surface of the ocean or stealing from other birds; will also attack other seabirds to force them to drop or disgorge their meal, which the Frigatebird then retrieves in flight; they eat fish, crustaceans and jellyfish. In the Gardens, they are occasionally seen soaring high overhead when they stray off the coast. Frigatebirds are silent in flight, but make clicking, wheezy, and grating calls in their colonies. Click  here    to listen to their calls (takes a few seconds to start).

References:
Arlington James, et al. Dominica’s Birds. Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Dominica, 2005 
James Bond. Birds of the West Indies. Collins, St James Place, London, 4th Edition, 1979
Fred J. Alsop III. Birds of Florida. Smithsonian Handbooks, Dorling Kindersley, New York, NY 2002
Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Magnificent Frigatebird: Fregata magnificens. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (www.birds.cornell.edu, March 2008).
​​Gardens Introduction

​

Preface - How it Began
Introduction to Website
A Brief History
Plan of Gardens 
Contemporary Commentary​
​Trees, Shrubs, Birds

​
​
Selected Trees and Shrubs
Medicinal Plants
​
Gardens Activities
  Florida's Fairchild Garden
Parrot/Animal Sanctuary
Birds of the Gardens
Garden Views

​
​
Three Virtual Tours
Panoramic Views Today
Early Panoramic Views
 
Hurricane David's Ravages
Future Developments
Curators/Administrators
Reports and Documents
  
Getting Involved
Related Links
Sub-sites

​

Honorees
Island Scholars
Cabinet Photos
​​Treasures of the Cathedral

​Diaspora Policy Paper
​

Visit the DAAS  Website
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Copyright © -  Davison Shillingford, Clayton Shillingford and (the late) Raglan Riviere