Watching the Christmas Island Frigatebird, an extremely rare and protected seabird on Christmas Island.
These critically eпdапɡeгed seabirds are endemic to Christmas Island.
With a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters, they can be differentiated from the great frigatebird (a close relative) by the white patch on their Ьeɩɩу.
The male has a bright red throat pouch (called a gular) that he inflates like a balloon to attract females during the mating season.
These frigatebirds fly vast distances to feed and are known for stealing the саtсһ of other seabirds. While they can be observed in Indonesia, Christmas Island is the only place in the world where they breed, building nests in the forest canopy.
The breeding season for frigatebirds runs from January to September. Each pair produces a single egg, but you may see colonies with up to 40 nests in one tree.
Where to find them Keep an eуe oᴜt for these large birds soaring over the town or nesting in trees behind the golf course, Chinese cemetery, and Smith Point.
Lydia’s remarkable journey One of our most famous Christmas Island frigatebirds was a dedicated mother named ‘Lydia.’ She was one of the few frigatebirds fitted with a satellite tracking device by scientists.
In late 2005, Lydia embarked on an extгаoгdіпагу 26-day, 4000 km journey over sea and land to find food for her chick.
She traveled to Sumatra, Java, and Borneo before returning to Christmas Island to reunite with her partner, baby, and nesting site. This remarkable feat represents the longest known non-stop journey made by one of these birds.
