Lesser Frigatebird
Fregata ariel
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderSuliformes (Gannets, Cormorants, and Allies)
- FamilyFregatidae (Frigatebirds)
- GenusFregata (Frigatebirds)
- SpeciesFregata ariel (Lesser Frigatebird)
About the Lesser Frigatebird
The lesser frigatebird (Fregata ariel) is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. Around 75 cm (30 in) in length, it is the smallest species of frigatebird. It occurs over tropical and subtropical waters across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as off the Atlantic coast of Brazil.
The lesser frigatebird is a lightly built seabird with brownish-black plumage, long, narrow wings, and a deeply forked tail. The male has a striking red gular sac, which he inflates to attract a mate. The female is slightly larger than the male and has a white breast and belly. Frigatebirds feed on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (often flying fish), and sometimes indulge in kleptoparasitism, harassing other birds to force them to regurgitate their food.
The lesser frigatebird was first described as Atagen ariel by English zoologist George Gray in 1845 from a specimen collected on Raine Island, Queensland, Australia. The lesser frigatebird is one of five closely related species of the genus Fregata. The other four are the great frigatebird (F. minor), Christmas frigatebird (F. andrewsi), magnificent frigatebird (F. magnificens), and Ascension frigatebird (F. aquila... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat
Great Frigatebird
Fregata minor
Brown Booby
Sula leucogaster
Abbott's Booby
Papasula abbotti
Little Pied Cormorant
Microcarbo melanoleucos
Red-footed Booby
Sula sula
Masked Booby
Sula dactylatra
Little Black Cormorant
Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
Nazca Booby
Sula granti
Australian Darter
Anhinga novaehollandiae
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Tangkoko Nature Reserve | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Bako National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 7 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 8 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 9 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 12 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 13 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Frigatebird in Raja Ampat?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Frigatebird sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 1,015 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Lesser Frigatebird in Raja Ampat?
December has the highest sighting rate for Lesser Frigatebird in Raja Ampat in our monthly data.