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Frigatebirds

Frigatebirds are large, mostly black seabirds, easily identified by their long wingspan, deeply forked tails, and hooked bills. Males have a distinctive red pouch which inflates during the breeding season. These birds are found over tropical oceans and are exceptional fliers, able to stay aloft for weeks using wind currents, mostly hunting for fish and squid. They roost in trees or cliffs, and are known to steal food from other birds, a behavior called kleptoparasitism. Frigatebirds breed in colonies and are known for their long period of parental care; they breed every other year due to this extensive investment in their offspring. There are five existing species, with the magnificent, great, and lesser being widespread, and the Christmas Island and Ascension Island frigatebirds are endangered and found only on their respective islands. The term "frigatebird" itself dates back to the 18th century and stems from the French word for a fast warship, likely because of their fast and agile flight. Their taxonomy is complex, with current genetic studies placing them near the gannets and boobies. Remarkably, frigatebirds can sleep while flying and are long-lived, though their precise lifespan is unknown. Populations vary, with some species at risk due to habitat loss and overfishing, but conservation efforts, particularly the eradication of feral cats on Ascension Island, have seen some positive effects. Historically, frigatebirds have held cultural significance in many island nations, from Nauru to Easter Island.

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Categories

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Accentors
Albatrosses
Alcippe Fulvettas
Asian Barbets
Auks
Austral Storm Petrels
Babblers, Scimitar Babblers
Barn Owls
Bearded Reedling
Bee-eaters
Bulbuls
Buntings
Bushtits
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
Cisticolas & Allies
Cormorants, Shags
Coursers, Pratincoles
Cranes
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Cupwings
Dippers
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Elachura
Fairy Flycatchers
Fairy-bluebirds
Fantails
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
Flamingos
Flowerpeckers

Frigatebirds

Frogmouths
Gannets, Boobies
Goldcrests, Kinglets
Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
Ground Babblers
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyguides
Hoopoes
Hornbills
Ibisbill
Ibises, Spoonbills
Indigobirds, Whydahs
Ioras
Jacanas
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks
Laughingthrushes & Allies
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Leafbirds
Longspurs, Snow Buntings
Loons
Monarchs
New World Sparrows
New World Warblers
Nightjars
Northern Storm Petrels
Nuthatches
Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Owls
Oystercatchers
Painted-snipes
Parrotbills & Allies
Pelicans
Penduline Tits
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
Pigeons, Doves
Pittas
Plovers
Przevalski's Finch
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rollers
Sandgrouse
Sandpipers, Snipes
Shrikes
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Sunbirds
Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Sylviid Babblers
Tanagers & Allies
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treecreepers
Treeswifts
Trogons
Tropicbirds
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
Wagtails, Pipits
Wallcreeper
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Waxwings
Weavers, Widowbirds
White-eyes
Woodpeckers
Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies
Wrens
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Species Categories

AccentorsAlbatrossesAlcippe FulvettasAsian BarbetsAuksAustral Storm PetrelsBabblers, Scimitar BabblersBarn OwlsBearded ReedlingBee-eatersBulbulsBuntingsBushtitsBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCranesCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesCupwingsDippersDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansElachuraFairy FlycatchersFairy-bluebirdsFantailsFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFlamingosFlowerpeckersFrigatebirdsFrogmouthsGannets, BoobiesGoldcrests, KingletsGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGround BabblersGulls, Terns, SkimmersHerons, BitternsHoneyguidesHoopoesHornbillsIbisbillIbises, SpoonbillsIndigobirds, WhydahsIorasJacanasKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLaughingthrushes & AlliesLeaf Warblers & AlliesLeafbirdsLongspurs, Snow BuntingsLoonsMonarchsNew World SparrowsNew World WarblersNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsNuthatchesOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOwlsOystercatchersPainted-snipesParrotbills & AlliesPelicansPenduline TitsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPloversPrzevalski's FinchRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRollersSandgrouseSandpipers, SnipesShrikesSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsSylviid BabblersTanagers & AlliesThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreecreepersTreeswiftsTrogonsTropicbirdsTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesVireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblersWagtails, PipitsWallcreeperWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWaxwingsWeavers, WidowbirdsWhite-eyesWoodpeckersWoodswallows, Butcherbirds & AlliesWrens

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What Our Birders Say
Sacha0508
Simply fantastic
I love this app, it puts so much fun into recording the birds I’ve seen and heard while I’m out and about. The interface is user-friendly and suitable for all ages. It’s great to collect badges and to review my “lists”.
Jane N
A great app
Enjoying it immensely and finding it useful too. Recording the different birds and counting them is showing me how the present climate is affecting them all. I've trebled the numbers by planting native hedging. A great app.
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Recommend for any bird watcher
Very wholesome app: I joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😃
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Downloaded to give it a try, everything worked perfectly, recorded my first bird watching walk. Very impressed. Have already recommended to friends!
Jake W
Great app
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Fantastic app - Love it!
Love this app and have used it almost daily. Lots of species information and easy to use. Love seeing birds spotted by other users in the UK and worldwide.
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Friendly and helps to identify birds
Great birding app, good for logging your sightings, also has nice species guide. I'm enjoying the social aspect more than I expected, everyone seems friendly and helps to identify unknown birds. Good mix of newbies and experienced users.
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Terrific App for Birders
Downloaded Birda around the time my interest in birding was sparked, and it has been a terrific app to help me (1) share my experience, (2) document my sightings, and (3) learn more about birds in general. That said, I also believe Birda is a fantastic app for birders of all experience levels. Great community!
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My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
Emma L
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Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
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