Fregatae

Frigate birds are large seabirds belonging to the family Fregatidae. They are characterized by their extremely long, slender wings, which can span up to 2.3 meters (nearly 8 feet), and a long, deeply forked tail. Adult males are typically all black, while adult females have white undersides. A distinctive feature is their bare-skinned throat pouch, which inflates into a bright red display during courtship.1

These birds are highly aerial, spending most of their time soaring effortlessly and rarely alighting on water due to insufficient waterproofing of their plumage. They are known for their skill in snatching fish dropped by other seabirds or seizing them from the water's surface. Frigate birds are found along tropical and subtropical coasts worldwide, usually within 100 miles of land, and breed in colonies on islands. While traditionally placed in the order Pelecaniformes, some taxonomists now group them with other water birds in the order Suliformes based on genetic evidence.12