Magnificent Frigatebird

Fregata magnificens Mathews, 1914

Fregatidae — Frigatebirds

Magnificent Frigatebird, Fregata magnificens, is a seabird in the frigatebird family that breeds across the Atlantic and Pacific. Its breeding range runs along the eastern Pacific from Mexico to Ecuador and along the western Atlantic from eastern Mexico and Florida to Brazil, with a small and nearly vanished presence in the Cape Verde Islands. Outside the breeding season it reaches coastal Baja California, the Gulf of California, northern Peru, northern Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. It was described by Mathews in 1914.

Order
Suliformes
Family
Fregatidae — Frigatebirds
Breeding range
Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean: e Pacific Ocean (w Mexico to Ecuador), Atlantic Ocean (e Mexico and Florida to Brazil), and Cape Verde Is. (where almost extinct)
Nonbreeding range
to coastal n Baja California, Gulf of California and s to n Peru; to n Florida and Gulf of Mexico
Magnificent Frigatebird
© John Picken from Chicago, USA · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

10 tours in Trinidad and Tobago 6, Mexico 2, Costa Rica 1, Colombia 1

Costa Rica Escape Part II: Caribbean Foothills and Wetlands
Costa Rica Escape Part II: Caribbean Foothills and Wetlands
Costa Rica / San José Group tour 9 days

A nine-day Costa Rica birding journey through Arenal, northern border wetlands and Tenorio foothill forest, with boat excursions and targets...

From USD 5,960 Next: Feb 21, 2027
SFF Los Flamencos Birdwatching Guide with Yezid Linares
SFF Los Flamencos Birdwatching Guide with Yezid Linares
Colombia / Riohacha Private tour

Private, customizable birdwatching at SFF Los Flamencos in La Guajira with Colombian guide and wildlife specialist Yezid Linares....

Marietas Islands Birds and Marine Wildlife
Marietas Islands Birds and Marine Wildlife
Mexico / Marietas Islands Private tour 6.5h

A bird and marine-wildlife trip to Marietas Islands National Park, focused on island birdlife with seasonal marine wildlife possibilities....

From MXN 4,225
Celestun Birding Day from Merida
Celestun Birding Day from Merida
Mexico / Celestun Private tour 1 day

A private birding day from Merida to Celestun Biosphere Reserve for flamingos, mangroves, coastal dunes and Yucatan specialties....

Little Tobago Island Birding and Nature Tour
Little Tobago Island Birding and Nature Tour
Trinidad and Tobago / Speyside, Tobago Private tour 6h

A 6 hour Little Tobago Island day from Speyside, including the glass-bottom boat crossing, island birding, swimming, snorkeling and lunch....

From USD 110
Tobago Wetlands Birding Tour
Tobago Wetlands Birding Tour
Trinidad and Tobago / Tobago Private tour 5h

A 5 hour Tobago wetlands and shorebird tour visiting Tobago Plantations Estate, Bon Accord Sewage Ponds and Grafton Estate....

From USD 80
Bird Photography Tour of Trinidad and Tobago with Faraaz Abdool
Bird Photography Tour of Trinidad and Tobago with Faraaz Abdool
Trinidad and Tobago / Trinidad and Tobago Group tour

A January 2027 Trinidad and Tobago bird photography tour with Faraaz Abdool, focused on island specialties, tropical forest birds, wetland p...

Custom Trinidad and Tobago Birding Package with Zee
Custom Trinidad and Tobago Birding Package with Zee
Trinidad and Tobago / Trinidad and Tobago Private tour

Design a Trinidad and Tobago birding package around your dates and priorities, combining Tobago seabirds, rainforest and coast with wider is...

Tobago Caribbean Coast Birding and Nature Tour with Zee
Tobago Caribbean Coast Birding and Nature Tour with Zee
Trinidad and Tobago / Tobago Coast Private tour 1 day

Explore a flexible section of Tobago’s Caribbean coast for seabirds, shorebirds, viewpoints and island wildlife, with stops chosen for cur...

Little Tobago and St. Giles Seabird Tour with Zee
Little Tobago and St. Giles Seabird Tour with Zee
Trinidad and Tobago / Speyside, Tobago Private tour 1 day

Look for Tobago’s offshore seabirds from Speyside on a private route toward Little Tobago and St. Giles, adding gentle island trail birdin...