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How do frigate birds catch fish without landing on the water?
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Pelecaniform
European white pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) in flight.
Frigate birds are highly specialized for an aerial lifestyle and lack sufficient preening oil to waterproof their plumage, meaning they do not willingly land on the water. Instead, they employ several skillful methods to obtain food without alighting:1
- Kleptoparasitism: They frequently engage in piracy, harassing other seabirds until they disgorge their prey, which the frigate bird then catches in mid-air or picks from the water's surface.12
- Surface Snatching: They course low over the water to snatch fish and squid directly from the surface using their long, hooked bills.12
- Aerial Pursuit: They actively pursue flying fish when the fish leap through the air, catching them before they can return to the water.2
These behaviors allow the frigate bird to remain almost entirely airborne, alighting only to roost or tend to their nests.1