Magnificent Frigatebird

Fregata magnificens

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderSuliformes (Gannets, Cormorants, and Allies)
FamilyFregatidae (Frigatebirds)
GenusFregata (Frigatebirds)
SpeciesFregata magnificens (Magnificent Frigatebird)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Tikal National Park

1 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026

41,639 Verified sightings across all 61 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Magnificent Frigatebird

The magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), frigate petrel or man o' war is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. With a length of 89–114 centimetres (2 ft 11 in – 3 ft 9 in) and wingspan of 2.17–2.44 m (7 ft 1 in – 8 ft 0 in), it is the largest species of frigatebird. It occurs over tropical and subtropical waters off America, between northern Mexico and Peru on the Pacific coast and between Florida and southern Brazil along the Atlantic coast. There are also populations on the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific and the Cape Verde islands in the Atlantic. It is one of the fastest birds in the world, flying at speeds of up to 153 kilometres (95 mi) per hour.

The magnificent frigatebird is a large, 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 magnificent frigatebird... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Anhinga anhinga

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Phalacrocorax brasilianus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

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	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~80%
2	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~80%
3	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~70%
4	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~70%
5	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~60%
6	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~60%
7	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
8	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
9	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~50%
10	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
11	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~40%
12	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
13	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
14	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
15	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~40%
16	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
17	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~30%
18	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
19	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
20	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
21	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
22	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~30%
23	Cabo Pulmo National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
24	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~30%
25	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
26	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
27	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
28	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
29	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
30	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
31	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
32	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
33	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~10%
34	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
35	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
36	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~10%
37	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
38	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
39	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
40	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
41	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
42	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	<5%
43	Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park	🇯🇲 Jamaica	<5%
44	Serra dos Órgãos National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
45	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
46	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
47	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
48	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
49	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
50	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
51	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
52	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
53	Canaima National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	Insufficient data
54	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
55	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
56	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
57	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
58	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
59	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
60	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
61	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

← Back to Tikal National Park

Magnificent Frigatebird

About the Magnificent Frigatebird

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Anhinga

Bigua cormorant

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found