The Magnificent Frigatebird is a large seabird with long wings and a deeply forked tail. It soars over tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the Americas.
The body is mostly black. Adult females have a dark head and white chest. Juveniles have a white head and belly, and their heads darken as they grow. Breeding males inflate a red throat pouch.
Magnificent Frigatebirds take small fish near the surface and sometimes force other birds to drop food. Long wings and a forked tail support aerial foraging.
Males inflate red throat pouches during display. Both sexes incubate a single egg and feed the chick, but the female continues care long after the male departs.
Breeding-habitat loss, disturbance and potential plastic impacts concern some populations. Galapagos National Park protection includes the species and its coastal nesting habitat.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Habitat loss and disturbance affect some colonies; marine plastic is a concern. The species is protected within Galapagos National Park.