Showing posts with label Suliformes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Suliformes. Show all posts

Oriental darter

   ›      ›   Oriental darter - Anhinga melanogaster.

The Oriental darter (Anhinga melanogaster) belongs to the family Anhingidae. The Oriental darter species is distributed in Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.

Taxonomy of Oriental darter

  • Scientific Name: Anhinga melanogaster
  • Common Name: Oriental darter
  • French: Anhinga roux; German: Orient-Schlangenhalsvogel; Spanish: Anhinga asiรกtica;
  • Other names: Anhinga melanogaster Pennant, 1769; Darter; snakebird;
  • Family: Anhingidae › Suliformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
  • Species author: (Pennant, 1769)
Anhinga melanogaster is closely related to American (A. anhinga), African (A. rufa) and Australasian (A. novaehollandiae) darter species. It is also known as Plotus melanogaster.

Indian birds - Image of Oriental darter - Anhinga melanogaster
Indian birds - Oriental darter - Anhinga melanogaster

Description

The Oriental darter is a large bird, measuring 85 to 100 cm in length and weighing 1,000 to 1,800 grams. The wingspan is 115 to 130 cm. The bill is long and measures 7 to 8 cm. These birds have wettable feathers and are often seen perched on rock or tree branch, holding the wings open for drying. These darter birds have long slender neck. The crown and neck of the bird are brown, darkening downwards to become black in the body plumage. The wing coverts and tertials having silvery streaks along the shaft.

There is a pale line over the eye and throat and a line runs along the sides of the neck. The iris is white with a yellow ring around it. The breeding birds have darker grey tarsi and toes with yellow webbing. The tail is long and made up of twelve stiff feathers. The Oriental darter birds produce grunting and croaking sounds and a disyllabic chigi-chigi-chigi call.

Habitat

The Oriental darter birds inhabit freshwater habitats like ponds, lakes, swamps, reservoirs and slow moving streams.

Feeding habits

The Oriental darter spears prey under water with its long pointed bill, brings it above water and tosses it into the air before swallowing.

Breeding

The breeding season of Oriental darter is June to August in northern India, April–May in southwestern India and in winter in southeastern India. They construct platform nests with twigs on tree branches. The clutch usually has three to six spindle shaped bluish-green eggs. The chicks feed by thrusting their heads down the throat of their parents.

Distribution

The Oriental darter distributed in the Indian Subcontinent and southeast Asia. They are distributed in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia.

Movement Patterns

The Oriental darter is mainly sedentary. It may locally move in search of feed and water bodies.

Status and conservation

The population of darter birds is estimated to number about 33,000 individual birds. These Oriental darter birds are generally becoming uncommon and declining throughout Asia. They are considered near threatened. Habitat loss, human activities near breeding habitats, degradation of foraging areas, hunting and pollution are the main threats for their conservation.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these darter birds and has listed them as "Near Threatened".

Biological classification of Anhinga melanogaster
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Suliformes
Family:Anhingidae
Subfamily:-
Genus:Anhinga
Species:A. melanogaster
Binomial name:Anhinga melanogaster
Distribution:Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and Sri Lanka;
Feeding habits:fish, water snakes, crustaceans and amphibians;
IUCN status listing:
Near Threatened

Popular posts in Birds of India

Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oriental_Darter,_Bangalore.JPG
Image Author: Vijay Vanaparthy | Image License: CC BY 3.0.
Current topic in Birds of India: Oriental darter - Anhinga melanogaster.
Posted by
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
Contact State Tourism or travel agents for bird watching and wildlife tours.

Little cormorant

   ›      ›   Little cormorant - Microcarbo niger.

The little cormorant (Microcarbo niger) belongs to the family Phalacrocoracidae. The little cormorant species is distributed in Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.

Taxonomy of Little cormorant

  • Scientific Name: Microcarbo niger
  • Common Name: Little cormorant
  • French: Cormoran de Vieillot; German: Mohrenscharbe; Spanish: Cormorรกn de Java;
  • Other names: Hydrocorax niger Vieillot, 1817; Javanese cormorant;
  • Family: Phalacrocoracidae › Suliformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
  • Species author: (Vieillot, 1817)
Microcarbo niger bird is also known as Halietor niger, Phalacrocorax niger and Phalacrocorax javanicus.

Indian birds - Little cormorant - Microcarbo niger
Indian birds - Little cormorant - Microcarbo niger

Description

The little cormorant is a small bird, measuring 50 to 55 cm in length and weighing 360 to 520 grams. The male bird is slightly larger. The wingspan is 90 cm. The breeding cormorant birds have black or brown-black plumage and a longish tail. Adults have a small erectile crest on the fore crown. The non breeding birds have a white patch on the throat. The webbed feet are black. Little cormorants produce low roaring, grunting and groaning sounds. They also make a low pitched ah-ah-ah and kok-kok-kok calls.

Habitat

These birds are seen in both inland and coastal water bodies. They are found in village ponds, estuaries, lagoons, creeks, tidal flats, marshes, swamps, fish ponds, lakes and streams.

Feeding habits

The little cormorant birds mostly feed on fish and sometimes also crustaceans and amphibians. They dive to catch the prey and surface to swallow it.

Breeding

These cormorant birds breed mainly during June to August in North India and November to February in southern India. The nest is constructed on trees. The clutch has two to six eggs.

Distribution

These bird species is distributed in Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.

Movement Patterns

The little cormorant species are mostly sedentary and make local movements in search of feed and roosts.

Status and conservation

The global population of these cormorant birds is not estimated. The overall population trend is not known. These birds are considered least vulnerable. Hunting of these birds, persecution from the aquaculture industry and breeding habitat degradation are the threats in conservation of these birds.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these cormorant birds and has listed them as of "Least Concern".

Biological classification of Microcarbo niger
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Suliformes
Family:Phalacrocoracidae
Subfamily:-
Genus:Microcarbo
Species:M. niger
Binomial name:Microcarbo niger
Distribution:Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka in Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia (Java);
Feeding habits:fish, crustaceans and amphibians;
IUCN status listing:
Least Concern

Popular posts in Birds of India

Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Little_Cormorant_(Breeding)_I_IMG_7438.jpg
Author: M.V.Bhaktha | License: CC BY-SA 3.0.
Current topic in Birds of India: Little cormorant - Microcarbo niger.
Posted by
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
Contact State Tourism or travel agents for bird watching and wildlife tours.

Great cormorant

   ›      ›   Great cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo.

The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) belongs to the family Phalacrocoracidae. The great cormorant species is distributed in Indian Subcontinent, Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Australia.

Taxonomy of Great cormorant

  • Scientific Name: Phalacrocorax carbo
  • Common Name: Great cormorant
  • French: Grand Cormoran; German: Kormoran; Spanish: Cormorรกn grande;
  • Other names: Pelecanus carbo Linnaeus, 1758; black shag; large cormorant; black cormorant; great black cormorant;
  • Family: Phalacrocoracidae › Suliformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
  • Species author: (Linnaeus, 1758)
Phalacrocorax carbo bird was earlier placed under genus Pelecanus. The six recognized subspecies are: P. c. carbo (Linnaeus, 1758), P. c. sinensis (Staunton, 1796), P. c. hanedae Nagamichi Kuroda, 1925, P. c. maroccanus E. J. O. Hartert, 1906, P. c. lucidus (M. H. C. Lichtenstein, 1823) and P. c. novaehollandiae Stephens, 1826.

Indian birds - Great cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo
Indian birds - Great cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo

Description

The great cormorant is a large bird, measuring 80 to 100 cm in length and weighing 1,800 to 2,800 grams. The female cormorant is slightly smaller. The wingspan is 130 to 160 cm. These cormorant birds are black with a longish tail. Adults have white patches on the thighs and on the throat in the breeding season. They may have a yellow throat-patch.

Habitat

The great cormorant birds are seen in both inland and coastal water bodies. They are found in estuaries, lagoons, creeks, tidal flats, marshes, swamps, fish ponds, lakes and streams.

Feeding habits

These cormorant birds mostly feed on fish and sometimes also feed crustaceans, molluscs and amphibians. They dive to catch the prey and surface to swallow it.

Breeding

The great cormorant birds breed during April to June in temperate regions. They appear to breed year-round in tropics. The nest is constructed as a platform on trees. In some places they nest on the ground. The clutch has three to four eggs.

Distribution

The subspecies P. c. carbo is distributed in North America, Southern Europe and Northern Africa. The subspecies P. c. sinensis is distributed in Europe, Asia, Indian Subcontinent and Africa. The subspecies P. c. hanedae Nagamichi is distributed in Japan. The subspecies P. c. maroccanus occurs in Northwest Africa. The subspecies P. c. lucidus occurs in Africa. The subspecies P. c. novaehollandiae occurs in Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.

Movement Patterns

The great cormorant species in temperate regions move southwards for wintering. The birds in the tropical and subtropical regions are mostly Sedentary.

Status and conservation

The global population of great cormorant birds is estimated to be between 1,400,000 to 2,900,000 individual birds. The overall population trend is increasing. These birds are considered least vulnerable. Hunting of these birds, persecution from the aquaculture industry and breeding habitat degradation are the threats in conservation of these birds.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these cormorant birds and has listed them as of "Least Concern".

Biological classification of Phalacrocorax carbo
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Suliformes
Family:Phalacrocoracidae
Subfamily:-
Genus:Phalacrocorax
Species:P. carbo
Binomial name:Phalacrocorax carbo
Distribution:North America, Europe, Asia, Indian Subcontinent, Africa and Australia;
Feeding habits:fish, crustaceans and amphibians;
IUCN status listing:
Least Concern

Popular posts in Birds of India

Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Phalacrocorax_carbo_Vic.jpg
Author: JJ Harrison (jjharrison89@facebook.com) | License: CC BY-SA 3.0.
Current topic in Birds of India: Great cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo.
Posted by
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
Contact State Tourism or travel agents for bird watching and wildlife tours.

Indian cormorant

   ›      ›   Indian cormorant - Phalacrocorax fuscicollis.

The Indian cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis) belongs to the family Phalacrocoracidae. The Indian cormorant species is distributed in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Taxonomy of Indian cormorant

  • Scientific Name: Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
  • Common Name: Indian cormorant
  • French: Cormoran ร  cou brun; German: Braunwangenscharbe; Spanish: Cormorรกn indio;
  • Other names: Indian shag;
  • Family: Phalacrocoracidae › Suliformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
  • Species author: Stephens, 1826
Phalacrocorax fuscicollis bird is sometimes placed under genus Hypoleucos.

Description

The Indian cormorant is a medium sized bird, measuring, 60 cm in length and weighing 600 to 800 grams. These birds have a long tail and long thin bill ending in hooked tip. A characteristic of these birds is the blue color of the eyes. It is bronze brown colored and the upper plumage is scalloped in black. Breeding birds have a short white ear tuft. They make short harsh “grk” call or make sounds like “kit”.
Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
Indian cormorant - Phalacrocorax fuscicollis

Habitat

These birds are found both in freshwater and saline habitats. They occur in ponds, lakes, streams, creeks and lagoons. They avoid open coasts.

Feeding habits

The Indian cormorant birds feed mainly on fish and catch the prey by diving in the waters. They are seen moving in a formation to corner fish.

Breeding

The breeding season in northern India is between July to February and in southern parts is between November to February. These birds nest on half submerged trees and trees in islands. The nest is built with twigs. The usual clutch is three to five eggs.

Distribution

These species are distributed in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Movement Patterns

This cormorant is a resident bird and moves locally in search of feed and water bodies.

Status and conservation

These bird species have a very large range and are considered least vulnerable. Habitat degradation, human activity in the breeding habitats and drying up of water bodies are the major threats to their survival.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these cormorant birds and has listed them as of "Least Concern".

Biological classification of Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Suliformes
Family:Phalacrocoracidae
Subfamily:-
Genus:Phalacrocorax
Species:P. fuscicollis
Binomial name:Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
Distribution:Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, Thailand and Cambodia;
Feeding habits:fish;
IUCN status listing:
Least Concern

Popular posts in Birds of India

Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Indian_cormorant_(Phalacrocorax_fuscicollis)_Photograph_By_Shantanu_Kuveskar.jpg
Author: Shantanu Kuveskar | License: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Current topic in Birds of India: Indian cormorant - Phalacrocorax fuscicollis.
Posted by
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
Contact State Tourism or travel agents for bird watching and wildlife tours.

Brown booby

   ›      ›   Brown booby - Sula leucogaster.

The brown booby (Sula leucogaster) belongs to the family Sulidae. The brown booby species is distributed in Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. It is a rare visitor to Indian Islands.

Taxonomy of Brown booby

  • Scientific Name: Sula leucogaster
  • Common Name: Brown booby
  • French: Fou brun; German: WeiรŸbauchtรถlpel; Spanish: Piquero pardo;
  • Other names: Pelecanus leucogaster Boddaert, 1783;
  • Family: Sulidae › Suliformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
  • Species author: (Boddaert, 1783)
Brown booby species was earlier included in the genus Pelecanus. The four recognized subspecies are: S. l. leucogaster (Boddaert, 1783), S. l. plotus (J. R. Forster, 1844), S. l. brewsteri Goss, 1888 and S. l. etesiaca Thayer & Bangs, 1905.

Indian birds - Brown booby - Sula leucogaster
Indian birds - Brown booby - Sula leucogaster

Description

The brown booby bird is a large bird, measuring 65 to 75 cm in length and weighing 700 to 1,550 grams. The wingspan is 130 to 150 cm. The female booby bird is slightly larger. The head and the upper body of this bird is brown-black. The belly is a contrasting white. The wings are short and the tail is tapered and long. The beak of booby is large and pointed with many jagged edges.

Habitat

The brown booby birds are strictly marine and move near around their breeding habitats in tropical rocky or coral islands.

Feeding habits

The brown booby birds feed mainly on squids and flying fish. These booby bird usually catch the prey by plunge diving and also by plucking the prey out of water surface. They also snatch feed from other seabirds.

Breeding

The breeding in these booby birds is seasonal in some areas and continuous is some areas. The nest is usually built on the ground in the midst of vegetation in remote islands. These booby birds form small colonies.

Distribution

The subspecies S. l. leucogaster is distributed in the islands in Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and tropical Atlantic Ocean. The subspecies S. l. plotus is distributed in Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. The subspecies S. l. brewsteri is distributed in tropical Pacific Ocean and The subspecies S. l. etesiaca occurs in Pacific Ocean.

Movement Patterns

These booby birds are strictly marine and move about near the breeding grounds. Juveniles and non breeding birds may disperse widely.

Status and conservation

The global population of brown booby birds is estimated to be about 200,000 individual birds. The population is slowly declining due habitat loss and human activities in the breeding habitat. These bird species have an extremely large range and are considered least vulnerable.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these booby species and has listed them as of "Least Concern".

Biological classification of Sula leucogaster
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Suliformes
Family:Sulidae
Subfamily:-
Genus:Sula
Species:S. leucogaster
Binomial name:Sula leucogaster
Distribution:tropical Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Red sea and rare visitor to Indian islands;
Feeding habits:squid, flying fish and other fish;
IUCN status listing:
Least Concern

Popular posts in Birds of India

Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brown_boobytern.JPG
Author: Duncan Wright | License: Public domain.
Current topic in Birds of India: Brown booby - Sula leucogaster.
Posted by
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
Contact State Tourism or travel agents for bird watching and wildlife tours.

Red-footed booby

   ›      ›   Red-footed booby - Sula sula.

The red-footed booby (Sula sula) belongs to the family Sulidae. The red-footed booby species is distributed in Indian Ocean, Indian islands and Pacific Ocean.

Taxonomy of Red-footed booby

  • Scientific Name: Sula sula
  • Common Name: Red-footed booby
  • French: Fou ร  pieds rouges; German: RotfuรŸtรถlpel; Spanish: Piquero patirrojo;
  • Other names: Pelecanus sula Linnaeus, 1766;
  • Family: Sulidae › Suliformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
  • Species author: (Linnaeus, 1766)
Red-footed booby species was earlier included in the genus Pelecanus. The three recognized subspecies are: S. s. sula (Linnaeus, 1766), S. s. rubripes Gould, 1838 and S. s. websteri Rothschild, 1898.

Indian birds - Red-footed booby - Sula sula
Indian birds - Red-footed booby - Sula sula

Description

The red-footed booby bird is the smallest among booby species. It is a medium sized bird, measuring 65 to 80 cm in length and weighing 900 to 1,000 grams. The wingspan is 135 to 150 cm. These booby birds are red footed and have relatively long tail, large eyes and pink and blue colored throat pouch. The bill is colored blue. The bare skin around the eyes is also often blue. There are several morphs among red-footed booby birds. The white morph has white plumage and black flight feathers. There are black tailed white morph and all brown morph. The red-footed booby birds make harsh rasping sounds and call 'rah-rah-rah' on nearing the breeding ground.

Habitat

The breeding habitat of red-footed booby birds is tree-covered tropical islands. When not breeding they spend much of the time foraging in the sea around the breeding colony.

Feeding habits

The red-footed booby birds are excellent divers. They dive underwater to catch the prey. They are also seen plucking the prey out of water surface. These birds mainly feed on squids and fish, especially flying fish.

Breeding

The red-footed booby birds breed in the tropical islands. These birds nest in large colonies in islands with vegetation. A white egg is laid in the nest constructed on trees with sticks. Both the parent birds incubate the egg and take care of the chick. These booby birds are nearly monogamous, pairs remaining together for several seasons.

Distribution

The subspecies S. s. sula is distributed in Caribbean islands and in islands off East Brazil. The subspecies S. s. rubripes occurs in islands in Indian Ocean and tropical islands in Pacific Ocean. It is a rare visitor to Indian islands. The subspecies S. s. websteri occurs in tropical islands in Pacific Ocean.

Movement Patterns

These booby bird may be considered sedentary as they spend much of the time near the breeding colonies.

Status and conservation

The global population of these booby birds is estimated to number about 1,000,000 individual birds. There is steady decline in population due to breeding habitat loss and predation by invasive species. However there is wide range and large population. These booby species are considered least threatened.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these booby species and has listed them as of "Least Concern".

Biological classification of Sula sula
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Suliformes
Family:Sulidae
Subfamily:-
Genus:Sula
Species:S. sula
Binomial name:Sula sula
Distribution:Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and rare visitor to Indian islands;
Feeding habits:squid, flying fish and other fish;
IUCN status listing:
Least Concern

Popular posts in Birds of India

Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sula_sula_by_Gregg_Yan_01.jpg
Author: Gregg Yan | License: CC BY-SA 3.0.
Current topic in Birds of India: Red-footed booby - Sula sula.
Posted by
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
Contact State Tourism or travel agents for bird watching and wildlife tours.

Masked booby

   ›      ›   Masked booby - Sula dactylatra.

The masked booby (Sula dactylatra) belongs to the family Sulidae. The masked booby species is distributed in Indian Ocean islands and Pacific Ocean islands.

Taxonomy of Masked booby

  • Scientific Name: Sula dactylatra
  • Common Name: Masked booby
  • French: Fou masquรฉ; German: Maskentรถlpel; Spanish: Piquero enmascarado;
  • Other names: masked gannet;
  • Family: Sulidae › Suliformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
  • Species author: (Lesson, 1831)
Sula dactylatra species is closely related to Nazca booby, (Sula granti) and brown booby (S. leucogaster). The four subspecies are: S. d. dactylatra Lesson, 1831, S. d. melanops Hartlaub, 1859, S. d. personata Gould, 1846 and S. d. tasmani van Tets et al., 1988.

Indian birds - Masked booby - Sula dactylatra
Indian birds - Masked booby - Sula dactylatra

Description

The masked booby species is a large bird, measuring 80 to 90 cm in length and weighing 1,200 to 2,300 grams. The wingspan is 150 cm. Adult booby species are white with pointed black wings, a pointed black tail and a dark grey face mask. The male booby has a yellow bill and the female has a greenish yellow bill. Breeding booby has a patch of bare bluish skin at the base of the bill. The juveniles are brown on the head and upper parts. These booby birds make whistling calls at the breeding grounds. They also make a wide range of hissing and quacking sounds.

Habitat

The masked booby species breed on isolated islands. The rest of the time they are seen foraging in the sea.

Feeding habits

The masked booby species are strictly marine and are good divers. They feed both by diving as well as plucking the prey out of water. They feed on shoaling fish, flying fish and squid.

Breeding

The masked booby species nest in small colonies on sandy beaches and cliff ledges. The nest is a shallow depression. Two white eggs are laid and both parents take turns to incubate. Both the parents feed the chicks. The older stronger chick usually kills the weaker one.

Distribution

The subspecies S. d. dactylatra breeds on islands in Caribbeans and north coast of South America. The subspecies S. d. melanops occurs in islands of Red Sea and Indian Ocean. The subspecies S. d. personata breeds in islands in Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. The subspecies S. d. tasmani breeds in islands in Tasman Sea.

Movement Patterns

The masked booby is a fairly sedentary bird, wintering at sea, but rarely seen far away from the breeding colonies.

Status and conservation

The global population size of masked booby birds has not been quantified, but the species has large range and population. They are considered least vulnerable. Introduced animals and fishing activities near the breeding grounds are the major threats to conservation of the booby species.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these booby species and has listed them as of "Least Concern".

Biological classification of Sula dactylatra
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Suliformes
Family:Sulidae
Subfamily:-
Genus:Sula
Species:S. dactylatra
Binomial name:Sula dactylatra
Distribution:Indian Ocean, Red Sea and Pacific Ocean;
Feeding habits:squid, flying fish and other fish;
IUCN status listing:
Least Concern

Popular posts in Birds of India

Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_080606-6808_Coronopus_didymus.jpg
Author: Forest & Kim Starr (http://www.hear.org/starr/) | License: CC BY 3.0.
Current topic in Birds of India: Masked booby - Sula dactylatra.
Posted by
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
Contact State Tourism or travel agents for bird watching and wildlife tours.

Christmas frigatebird

   ›      ›   Christmas frigatebird - Fregata andrewsi.

The Christmas frigatebird (Fregata andrewsi) belongs to the family Fregatidae. These frigatebird species is distributed in Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean.

Taxonomy of Christmas frigatebird

  • Scientific Name: Fregata andrewsi
  • Common Name: Christmas frigatebird
  • French: Frรฉgate d’Andrews; German: WeiรŸbauch-Fregattvogel; Spanish: Rabihorcado de la Christmas;
  • Other names: Christmas Island frigatebird;
  • Family: Fregatidae › Suliformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
  • Species author: Mathews, 1914
Fregata andrewsi species was earlier included in F. aquila. It is closely related to the great frigatebird (F. minor).

Indian birds - Christmas Island frigatebird - Fregata andrewsi
Indian birds - Christmas Island frigatebird - Fregata andrewsi

Description

The Christmas frigatebird species measures 90 to 100 cm in length. The male weighs about 1,400 gram. The female frigatebird is slightly larger and weighs about 1,550 grams. It is mostly black with white belly patch and the tail is forked. The male has a red gular pouch. The bill is long dark and hooked.

Habitat

The breeding habitat is tall forest trees in the Christmas Islands. The non-breeding birds wander about foraging in the Indian Ocean, South China Sea, Andaman Sea, Gulf of Thailand and Sulu Sea.

Feeding habits

These frigatebirds feed by plucking the prey out of water. They feed on squids, flying fish and other marine animals. They also snatch feed from other seabirds.

Breeding

These frigatebird species breeds once in two years and only one chick is produced. They nest on tall trees.

Distribution

These bird species is endemic to Christmas Islands in the Indian Ocean. These frigatebirds breed only in these Islands. After raising the chicks they disperse to surrounding seas, to return after two years for breeding.

Movement Patterns

These frigate species are sedentary. They breed only in these islands and foraging in the surrounding seas.

Status and conservation

The population of these birds has declined by around 66% over the last three generations. As these birds breed once in two years and have only one chick, with all the conservation efforts the recovery is very slow. They are considered critically endangered.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these frigatebird species and has listed them as "Critically Endangered".

Biological classification of Fregata andrewsi
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Suliformes
Family:Fregatidae
Subfamily:-
Genus:Fregata
Species:F. andrewsi
Binomial name:Fregata andrewsi
Distribution:Indian Ocean;
Feeding habits:squid, flying fish and other fish;
IUCN status listing:
Critically Endangered

Popular posts in Birds of India

Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Christmas_Island_Frigatebird.JPG
Author: Shah Jahan | License: CC BY-SA 3.0.
Current topic in Birds of India: Christmas frigatebird - Fregata andrewsi.
Posted by
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
Contact State Tourism or travel agents for bird watching and wildlife tours.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)