Storm-Petrels, Tropicbirds & Frigatebirds

Storm-petrels are tiny, graceful seabirds related to albatrosses and shearwaters. They are so well adapted to life at sea that they are rarely seen from land. They often patter their large webbed feet on the water as they hover to pluck prey from the surface. Tropicbirds resemble large terns with white and black plumage, yellow to red bills, and central tail feathers elongated into streamers. Frigatebirds are all black or black and white with long, hooked bills, long pointed wings, and narrow, deeply forked tails.

Size:
7 to 40 inch (0.1778 to 1.016 meter) length, 16 to 90 inch (0.4064 to 2.286 meter) wingspan

Where they live:
Open oceans, islands, and coastlines. Storm-petrels nest underground in dense colonies on offshore islands, visited mostly at night. Tropicbirds and frigatebirds are mostly tropical, nesting on small islands and visiting the southern coasts of the United States.

What they eat:
Small fish, planktonic crustaceans, squid taken from the surface.

Sounds:
Silent except for night-time visits to nesting colonies.

Etc.:
Named for a fast, maneuverable pirate ship, frigatebirds steal prey from other birds in addition to catching on their own. During courtship males inflate a heart-shaped "ballon" of red skin on their throats.