Illustration of frigate bird
frigate bird
noun
: any of a family (Fregatidae, containing a single genus Fregata) of tropical seabirds having a forked tail and large wingspans that are noted for aggressively taking food from other birds
Examples of frigate bird in a Sentence
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From magnificent frigate birds soaring in the skies above to sea lions and marine iguanas cruising the nutrient-rich waters, and of course the iconic blue-footed boobys littering the island trails.
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Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Squadrons of frigate birds riding currents high above the bungalows.
—Mark Gauert, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2024
Sleeping at sea Some animals have unusual evolutionary adaptations to fit in sleep while avoiding predators and other risks, such as sleep-chewing cows, sleep-standing horses and frigate birds that can sleep and fly at the same time.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 20 Apr. 2023
This sustains plankton at the bottom of the food chain — an effect that's intensified during a La Niña. Pelicans and a soaring frigate bird circle fishermen in the waters around Santa Fe Island in the Galápagos, presumably hoping for a free hand-out of fish.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2023
Mammoth tusks carved with hunting scenes and with images of Polynesian chiefs, and bone spears from the Aleutian islands, rubbed dusty shoulders with fragments of Indian canoes, a giant stuffed frigate bird and war clubs from the Fiji islands.
—Gary Kamiya, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Mar. 2021
One time a great frigate bird perched on a curtain rod and ballooned its ruby red throat up to the size of an elephant’s goiter.
—Devin Murphy, Outside Online, 19 Jan. 2021
The nests of various boobies and frigate birds are scattered amidst the greenery underfoot, while their owners dot the sky overhead by the dozens.
—National Geographic, 2 Jan. 2020
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Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Squadrons of frigate birds riding currents high above the bungalows.
—Mark Gauert, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2024
Sleeping at sea Some animals have unusual evolutionary adaptations to fit in sleep while avoiding predators and other risks, such as sleep-chewing cows, sleep-standing horses and frigate birds that can sleep and fly at the same time.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 20 Apr. 2023
This sustains plankton at the bottom of the food chain — an effect that's intensified during a La Niña. Pelicans and a soaring frigate bird circle fishermen in the waters around Santa Fe Island in the Galápagos, presumably hoping for a free hand-out of fish.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2023
Mammoth tusks carved with hunting scenes and with images of Polynesian chiefs, and bone spears from the Aleutian islands, rubbed dusty shoulders with fragments of Indian canoes, a giant stuffed frigate bird and war clubs from the Fiji islands.
—Gary Kamiya, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Mar. 2021
One time a great frigate bird perched on a curtain rod and ballooned its ruby red throat up to the size of an elephant’s goiter.
—Devin Murphy, Outside Online, 19 Jan. 2021
The nests of various boobies and frigate birds are scattered amidst the greenery underfoot, while their owners dot the sky overhead by the dozens.
—National Geographic, 2 Jan. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Frigate bird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frigate%20bird. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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