The Frigate bird, otherwise known as the "man-of-war" bird, is a unique tropical bird. Here's everything you need to know about the Frigate bird.

Characteristics of the Frigate Bird

The Frigate bird is a relative of the Pelican and is roughly the size of a hen. It lives near the ocean and does well in a warm, tropical climate. It is a bird of the sea, but does not live in the sea. Its feathers are iridescent black, and its wings are long and the span is approximately 7.5 feet wide. The bird's small webbed toes are fairly useless to the bird -- they can't lift off from a flat starting point. Instead, you will often see them perched from a peak where it can stop to eat, rest and take off into flight again. It has a strongly hooked beak which makes it easier for it to snatch its food. They build their nests in low-lying areas and lay only a single white egg.

The Difference Between the Male and the Female

The female Frigate bird can be spotted by her white under belly, while the male Frigate bird has a distinctive red under belly. It uses this body part to attract the female Frigate bird during mating season. Over a period of 20 minutes, the male bird changes the appearance of his body in a most interesting way -- the red part of his belly fills up with air until it is puffed up like a shiny red balloon.

Robbers at Sea

The Frigate bird lives near the sea and hovers over it in order to find food, but they do not spend time in the water. They fly endlessly above the water and come in close enough to pluck a fish, turtle or squid from the sea. And the Frigate bird has no trouble snatching another bird's food. It waits for the other sea bird to do the work and then uses its strong maneuvering skills to swoop in and take what doesn't belong to it. It will attack other sea birds as well. It is beneficial to the Frigate bird that it is able to stay aloft for more than a week at a time, as this makes it easy for them to roam the sky, swoop in for the steal and ascend to a mountain peak to enjoy its feast. Frigate birds often stops flying only long enough to eat its stolen dinner.