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Project Noah Nature School
Fregata magnificens
A recently deceased juvenile - occasionally these young seabirds fail to develop the strength or skills to leave the nest, & starve once the parents cease to bring food. The Magnificent Frigatebird on the Galapagos Islands is genetically and morphologically distinct, & based on studies has not been exchanging any genes with their mainland counterparts for several hundred thousand years. This small population of genetically unique Magnificent Frigatebirds is a vulnerable population. Any catastrophic event or threats by humans could wipe out the approximate 2,000 Magnificent Frigatebirds that nest on the Galapagos Islands. Magnificent Frigatebirds are currently classified as Least Concern (LC)' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but the Proceedings of the Royal Society paper recommends that, because of the genetic uniqueness of those on the Galápagos, this status be revisited.
North Seymour Island, Galapagos
Spotted on Nov 23, 2012
Submitted on Dec 16, 2012
1 Comment
I love your nature.