One of the most spectacular seabirds
Among the most spectacular seabirds is the magnificent frigatebird (rabihorcado mango; Fregata magnificens), a large, elegant, streamlined black seabird with a long forked tail that gives it the nickname tijereta or 'scissor tail'. They make an acrobatic living by aerial piracy, often harassing small birds into dropping or regurgitating their catch and then swooping to catch their stolen meal in mid-air. This is partly because frigatebirds do not have waterproof feathers and so cannot enter the water to catch prey. They are, however, able to catch fish on the surface by snatching them up with their hooked beaks. With a wingspan of over 2m and a weight of only 1.5kg, the birds have the largest wingspan to weight ratio of any bird and are magnificent fliers.
Frigatebirds are found on both coasts but are more common on the Pacific. The males have red throat pouches, which normally look like little skin flaps but are inflated to balloon size when courting and nesting. Unfortunately, nesting in Costa Rica is limited to a few islands off the Pacific coast, so you are unlikely to see this.
Pictures by Angela and Jörn Malek. The team of 1-CostaRicaLink wishes you the best of times in our little paradise called Costa Rica.
Text by Lonely Planet. To buy the complete book
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