Lesser Frigate

This exemplar is most likely a juvenile based on the yellow color of the head and neck which after a few years will turn progressively darker and develop a red throat which will be more pronounced in a male. In the guide I read that these birds need islands to roost as they cannot rest at the sea because their feathers get easily waterlogged. Island of Lankayan, Sabah.

comments (3)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Described as small but comes across as huge to me, thanks for sharing! Posted 6 years ago

Annette Flottwell

Lion

great find, never saw this one in Malaysia Posted 6 years ago

Patomarazul

Lion

Hi Annette, actually there is three possibilities according to the guide I am using
http://press.princeton.edu/titles/10228.html
It could also be a Christmas Island frigate bird or a great frigate bird. I have set it as lesser because is the commonest of the three in Borneo but it could also be one of the other two species. As a juvenile and in the distance is hard to tell a part because they are very similar. I hope I made the right ID :-) Posted 6 years ago

The Lesser frigatebird

The lesser frigatebird is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. At around 75 cm in length, it is the smallest species of frigatebird. It occurs over tropical and subtropical waters across the Indian and Pacific Oceans as well as off the Atlantic coast of Brazil.

Info 3 0

Similar species: Sulids

Species identified by Patomarazul