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Species of the month

Christmas Island frigatebird

Some facts about this bird:

Length: 89–100 cm (35–39 in)

Wingspan: 215 cm (7.15 ft)

Weight: 1.50 kg (3.42 lb)

Diet: The Christmas Island frigatebird is a piscivorous i.e. fish-eating bird of prey. They mostly feed on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly Flying fish, Exocoetidae), but sometimes indulge in kleptoparasitism, harassing other birds to force them to regurgitate their food.

Range: The Christmas Island frigatebird is endemic to the Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

Habitat: Oceans and islands. They nest in large trees of species Celtis timorensis and Terminalia catappa which may grow to 35 metres (115 feet) tall.

Conservation status: Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. In 2003 the total adult population was estimated to be between 3,600 and 7,200 individuals. There are only a total of 4 remaining nesting colonies in the world, all on the same island.

First described: By the Australian ornithologist Gregory Macalister Mathews in 1914.

Notable fact: This species is one of the "marathon fliers" among seabirds. In 2005, the female specimen was tagged with a satellite transmitter, and scientists were able to track a non-stop flight for 26 days. The flight went 4.000 km (2.500 mi) from Christmas Island via Sumatra, Java and Borneo, then back to Christmas Island where her cub was waiting for her. The scientists found that the bird did not make any stops during this flight, but instead fed over the sea and slept while flying.