WEEKEND FUN UPDATE: Name this bird

Many thanks to readers who participated in our last Weekend Fun feature.

Many got it right. This bird is called a Frigate Bird and can be found resting in many parts of Dominica, especially along the coast.

They are seabird of the family Fregatidae.

The males have inflatable red-coloured throat pouches called “gular pouches”, which they inflate to attract females during the mating season.

This specimen was photographed in Dubique.

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56 Comments

  1. Justice and Truth
    October 9, 2012

    This bird is well fed. Note how healthy it looks. Its feathers are shining and healthy.

  2. Hmmmmmm
    October 8, 2012

    Ok, Ok, Ok…….. I get it. I know it now. Malfini. Thanks

  3. Hmmmmmm
    October 8, 2012

    What is the local name?

  4. Mango-Bab
    October 8, 2012

    Locally, this birds has the following Dominican/local names: SIZO (the tail resembles a pair of open scissors); FWEGAD and FRYGATE(from the common name Frigate), and SCISSORS

  5. Anonymous
    October 8, 2012

    Locally this bird has the folllowing Dominican names: Sizo (tails resembles a pair of scissors), Fwegad (from Fregate), Frygate and Scissors

  6. MMD
    October 8, 2012

    **and yes the correct name is the frigate bird**

  7. MMD
    October 8, 2012

    (my oppinion)
    MALFINIR, it is called so locally cause it feeds at sea off fishes. it indicates to fishermen where the fishes feed,fishermen catches the fishes then it has to move on to more so it always have a bad ending. thats where malfinir comes in.

    M-D……BAA

    • Concerned
      October 8, 2012

      That is not a malfini, are you guys nuts?!!!!

      • TeteMorne I From
        October 9, 2012

        :mrgreen:

    • Shameless
      October 9, 2012

      :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: eh eh this is no MALFINI Voleur Poule.

      Assertive, NOT Agressive!

  8. Anonymous
    October 7, 2012

    how cant people see that is a malfiny, those birds that fly over the sea …lol

  9. Dr. B
    October 7, 2012

    Malfiny nah man malfiny is a chicken hawk

  10. Bam LaFarge
    October 7, 2012

    Fregate; think I heard they cannot land (or take off from) the water. Morne aux Fregates.

  11. ja
    October 7, 2012

    Male Frigate bird…red pouch not inflated.

  12. child of the king
    October 6, 2012

    cucumanyok

  13. Big-Bannan
    October 6, 2012

    Beats me, I do not remember seeing that particular type of bird in Dominica.

  14. Elmo
    October 6, 2012

    Big Bird…after Romney sent him to the unemployment line, he became a Parro.

    • Big-Bannan
      October 8, 2012

      lol.. I love your comment. well thought of.

    • TeteMorne I From
      October 9, 2012

      :mrgreen: :-P :lol: :-D :) :-P

  15. Show me the money
    October 6, 2012

    Boy look jokes

  16. Anonymous
    October 6, 2012

    BLACK PARROT

  17. Mannie Fresh
    October 6, 2012

    this is called a foo foo or we call it humming bird in England.

    • TeteMorne I From
      October 9, 2012

      Have you ever sen a hummingbird so big?

  18. CB BOSS
    October 6, 2012

    You know, I think its a frigate. The thing is I’ve seen this bird all my life hovering over the sea or nearby.

    I now realize that I have no idea where do they live or breed.

    Can some one on here please share some knowledge on there habitat in Dominica?

    • Shameless
      October 8, 2012

      They live on the Islet and on the Tranto side called TeeTanse of the C/Bruce bay close to Mr. Ralf and Ma-Prisca property. They make a good eat with dumpling and lentils. Just as Basso and them.

      Assertive, NOT Agressive!

      • Anonymous
        October 9, 2012

        Thanks for the info Shameless. I will take a walk over to Tetanse with my camera.

        I think I will stay away from the ‘eating’ part for now, but I sure will ask Basso about the taste.

        When he respond with ‘no knowledge of such’ I will just say that you sent me. Deal?

      • CB BOSS
        October 9, 2012

        Thanks for the info Shameless. I will take a walk over to Tetanse with my camera.

        I think I will stay away form the ‘eating’ part for now, but I sure will ask Basso about the taste.

        When he respond with ‘no knowledge of sure’, I will just say that you sent me.

        Deal?

  19. eyeswideshut
    October 6, 2012

    The frigate bird is reported to have the longest nesting period of any bird. The parents feed the babies in the nest for eleven months. There is a large sanctuary in the swamplands in Barbuda where almost 20 000 birds reproduce. The tour guides seem to have it figured and bring tourists in there with small boats. They used to hold them and show them off, no touching allowed now.
    They have a 7 ft wingspan and all their bones only weigh 4 ounces.

  20. Just Saying
    October 6, 2012

    Black bird

  21. Anonymous
    October 5, 2012

    No. No. NO. that is a Moi Pa.sava……….. :?: :?:

  22. Looking in
    October 5, 2012

    a foo foo

  23. lee
    October 5, 2012

    A black long beak bird

  24. October 5, 2012

    This look like a male frigate bird with pouch under the neck.

  25. October 5, 2012

    papamet

    • blackchiny1974
      October 7, 2012

      This is a frigate bird guys.
      they are high flyers .

  26. D.A
    October 5, 2012

    thats a seagual

  27. T
    October 5, 2012

    It is a magnificent Frigate bird locally known as a scissor bird.
    Unique among birds as its feathers weigh more than its body.
    I took this photo last year from a distance of 3 metres and can confirm that it was not injured,as someone had previously speculated.
    Its mate was circling above at the time.
    I did at first think it was a discarded black plastic bag, as I had never before seen a frigate bird on land.

  28. :DDD
    October 5, 2012

    crow

  29. Johnny didn't run
    October 5, 2012

    A Crow

  30. T mama
    October 5, 2012

    sea gull

  31. sugar
    October 5, 2012

    i think it a malfiney

    • Interesting
      October 5, 2012

      I was thinking malfiney. Again,I may be wrong because as children we just used to shout “malfiney voleur poule” but we never saw it close up but soaring above.

  32. Anonymous
    October 5, 2012

    this is known as the fregata bird its one of the birds we see flying over the ocean.This is one of their ways of feeding themselves by catching fishes

  33. Teacher
    October 5, 2012

    thats the bird MORNE FRIGATE was named after! :D

  34. Looking, But....
    October 5, 2012

    Magnificent Frigate Bird

  35. ani
    October 5, 2012

    birdie with little white penis

    • Kicks
      October 5, 2012

      lol!!! i know right! I just catch myself peeping under de bird to figure whatda**** is that white thing under the bird. LMAO!!

    • ttll
      October 5, 2012

      thats naste and not funny this is a frigate bird

    • Anonymous
      October 5, 2012

      I bet you can relate…………

  36. Dominican
    October 5, 2012

    This is a Frigate bird, known locally “Scissor” we see flying sometimes low over the sea catching food.

  37. Bagatelle
    October 5, 2012

    fwegad..or frigate…the bottom of its beak blows up like a balloon

    • Yes sah
      October 7, 2012

      I think you are the first one to get it ight! Way to go! I am a bird watcher, I do bird watching as a hobby, when I one on island and also in the US! N it’s a frigate for real!

  38. Anonymous
    October 5, 2012

    Baby sea gal resting

  39. LittleBIG
    October 5, 2012

    That’s Sarah Palin without make-up!

    • Anonymous
      October 5, 2012

      HAHA,,,but I know for a face that’s Mitt Romney when he wakes up…

  40. Halleluja
    October 5, 2012

    A malfini dat man.

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