Feeding
The Great Frigatebird forages in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of the breeding colony or roosting areas. Flyingfish from the family Exocoetidae are the most common item in the diet of the Great Frigatebird; other fish species and squid may be eaten as well. Prey is snatched while in flight, either from just below the surface or from the air in the case of flyingfish flushed from the water. Great Frigatebirds will make use of schools of predatory tuna or pods of dolphins that push schooling fish to the surface. Like all frigatebirds they will not alight on the water surface and are usually incapable of taking off should accidentally do so.
Great Frigatebirds will also hunt seabird chicks at their breeding colonies, taking mostly the chicks of Sooty Terns, Spectacled Terns, Brown Noddies and Black Noddies. Studies show that only females (adults and immatures) hunt in this fashion, and only a few individuals account for most of the kills.
Great Frigatebirds will attempt kleptoparasitism, chasing other nesting seabirds (boobies and tropicbirds in particular) in order to make them regurgitate their food. This behaviour is not thought to play a significant part of the diet of the species, and is instead a supplement to food obtained by hunting. A study of Great Frigatebirds stealing from Masked Boobies estimated that the frigatebirds could at most obtain 40% of the food they needed, and on average obtained only 5%.
Read more about this topic: Great Frigatebird, Behaviour
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