 Man-o'-war bird Or frigate bird, the most aerial of water birds, found in the tropics season. The wings spread seven a half feet is the largest in proportion to its body of any bird; it can fly motionless by the hour. It is awkward on land and in the sea, where the feathers quickly become waterlogged.
The name derives from its grace and swiftness in the air and from its piratical tendencies ; it harasses boobies , pelicans , Cormorants , and gulls until they drop their catch. The man-o'-war bird feeds mainly on fish and young prey like seabirds and jellyfish, squid, and young the turtles. Their beaks are long and hooked are forked ; the male has an orange throat pouch that is inflatable, that becomes red at courtship time. The purplish black magnificent frigate bird , 40 in. long, can be found from the Bahamas and Baja California South and to Brazil and Ecuador; the great frigate bird is found in the Indian Ocean. The other species are, the ascension and Christmas Island it frigate birds, are named for the habitats. The lesser frigate bird, the smallest 32 in. long of the family, is found in the South Pacific and on the islands of Brazil and Madagascar. |
