Taxonomy
Its scientific name of Fregata minor arose because when it was first discovered, it was thought to be a small pelican, and so named Pelecanus minor by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789. Due to the rules of taxonomy, its species name of minor was retained despite being placed in a separate genus. This has led to the discrepancy between minor, Latin for 'smaller' in contrast with its common name. In Hawaii this species is also known as the Iwa (or 'thief' in Hawaiian).
It is one of five closely related species of Frigatebird that make up their own genus (Fregata) and family (Fregatidae). Its closest relative within the group is the Christmas Island Frigatebird (F. andrewsii).
Read more about this topic: Great Frigatebird