the five types of the Fregattvögel lives in the offshore areas of tropical seas. They got its name from the sailors of the sail-ship-time: "Frigate-bird" or "Man-o-War Hawk", therefore allusions to special behaviors of these extremely deft planes.
Nutrition Although Fregattvögel also look fishing, Kopffüßern, jellyfishes and other animals for fly even at the water-surface up to 30-40 cm of size, they take away its loot from other seabirds with preference, however. Dolts, pelicans, Kormorane, terns and seagulls are pursued for a very long time in the flight until they drop its loot; then, the persecutor pushes in a flash down and still checks the mouthful over the water-surface. The harassed birds don't have any chance to escape from its persecutors since Fregattvögel are unequally more skillful and faster, probably this at the waterfowl tried on the best at a life in the air at all. If another bird is not sufficiently fast willing to publish its loot, so the Fregattvogel takes its long, extremely powerful hook-beak to help.
With its very long swinging (forearm and hand-bone extended), that reaches, Fregattvögel are left easily for profoundly bifurcate tail and the considerably trained flight-musculature the whole day over in the air. they are excellent sail-planes; without the lowest movement, they hover over the water in order to then suddenly crash and to intercept themselves at the last moment before the impact and to grasp the loot-animal on that occasion with the beak.
Way of life Although the Fregattvögel swimming-skins trained between its toes, even if not as powerfully as other Rudder-footby far, however, they avoid after strengths to dive into the water. its plumage is not sufficiently greased (the Bürzeldrüse is very small) for a longer stay in the sea and soaks fast fully water. Also on the dry, Fregattvögel with its short legs and the actually outsized wings are strong at the disadvantage. Only under big difficulties, these "gliders" of the flat ground can start; they therefore prefer offshore trees or bushes as silence or Nistplätze.
Reproduction Fregattvögel brood in colonies on tropical islands, with what they like to visit the hotbeds of other seabird-types. Their eggs and squabs are a welcome loot as soon as the alto-birds leave it unsupervised; but also the proper kid - as well like the Nistmaterial -, it constantly must be guarded before the characteristic neighbors. The male Fregattvogel fells the nest during the time, in which it chooses the nest-location, builds and about the female advertises, through its splendid, bloated Kehlsack on. Normally orange, this is red then shining colored. After the deposit of the eggs, it recedes again and assumes the original coloring.
The extensive nests are put together loosely from coarser Gezweig and are only erected directly on the ground as an exception. Both partners share lasting brood-business and the Aufzucht of the squab, with what an alto-bird constantly keeps watch, into this approximately 6 weeks. The young slips bare, however, a white Dunenkleid, that is replaced already by a real plumage after short time, trains soon. Young Fregattvögel remain long in contact with its parents, and they are fully from-colored only in the age of 2-3 years. Until then, the white head clearly distinguishes it from the alto-birds.
Shape, types Female Fregattvögel become bigger than its partners, also it distinguishes its lighter plumage and the absence of the Kehlsacks of the black ones, metallic gleaming male animals. Only with the Ascension or Adlerfregattvogel (Fregata aquila), the sexes are almost immediately colored. But also with this type, the plumage of the male gleams metallic, while more dully the black with the female and in the breast-area even brownish is. Like this Atlantic type, that broods only on the island Boatswainbird (close to Ascension), also the Weißbauch-Fregattvogel (Fregata andrewsi) lives only in one quite small area (Pacific, hatcheries on the Christmas and Anamba-Inseln). This has an established brood-period (April until June), while the other types the whole year over with the Jungenaufzucht can begin. The further three types are widespread far over the tropical islands of the Atlantic and Pacific.
The Prachtfregattvogel (Fregata magnificens) is over 1 m of total-length and a span the biggest type until 2,30 m as well, however, also the Bindenfregattvogel (Fregata minor) remains not much smaller. A brown wing-bond distinguishes the males from male Prachtfregattvögeln while the females of only this type of white colored undersides show. With a total-length of approximately 78 cm, the little one Fregattvogel (Fregata ariel) is the smallest type of the family; the alto-birds differ in the showy white stain from all other Fregattvögeln under every wing-base. The most frequently, this type occurs before Australia's coasts.
One holds Bindenfregattvögel in Polynesia in captivity; they were used as a news-carrier like letter-deaf persons earlier.
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