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LC
Greater Frigatebird Fregata minor

IUCN Red List history

Year Category
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern

Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency Low
Land mass type   Average mass -

Distribution

  Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) 24,800 medium
Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) 107,000,000 medium
Number of locations -
Fragmentation -

Population & trend

  Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
No. of mature individuals poor Estimated 2009
Population trend Decreasing -
Number of subpopulations - - -
Largest subpopulation - - -
Generation length (yrs) 15.2 - - -
Trend justification: The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and unsustainable levels of exploitation.

Country/Territory distribution

Country/Territory Occurrence status Extinct Breeding Non-breeding Passage
American Samoa Native No      
Aruba (to Netherlands) Native No   Yes  
Australia Native No      
Brazil Native No      
British Indian Ocean Territory Native No      
Brunei Native No      
Cambodia Unknown No      
Chile Native No      
China (mainland) Native No      
Christmas Island (to Australia) Native No      
Cocos (Keeling) Islands (to Australia) Native No Yes    
Colombia Native No      
Comoros Native No      
Cook Islands Unknown No      
Costa Rica Native No      
Ecuador Native No      
El Salvador Unknown No      
Fiji Native No   Yes  
French Polynesia Native No      
French Southern Territories Unknown No      
Guam (to USA) Native No   Yes  
Guatemala Unknown No      
India Native No      
Indonesia Native No      
Japan Native No      
Kenya Native No      
Kiribati Unknown No      
Madagascar Native No      
Malaysia Native No      
Maldives Native No      
Marshall Islands Native No Yes    
Mauritius Vagrant No   Yes  
Mayotte (to France) Native No      
Mexico Native No      
Micronesia, Federated States of Native No Yes    
Mozambique Native No      
Nauru Native No   Yes  
New Caledonia (to France) Native No      
New Zealand Vagrant No   Yes  
Nicaragua Unknown No      
Niue (to New Zealand) Unknown No      
Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) Native No Yes    
Oman Vagrant No   Yes  
Palau Native No Yes    
Panama Vagrant No   Yes  
Papua New Guinea Unknown No      
Philippines Native No      
Pitcairn Islands (to UK) Unknown No      
Réunion (to France) Native No Yes    
Samoa Unknown No      
Seychelles Native No Yes    
Singapore Unknown No      
Solomon Islands Native No      
Somalia Native No      
South Africa Native No      
Sri Lanka Native No      
St Helena (to UK) Unknown No      
Taiwan (China) Native No      
Tanzania Native No      
Thailand Native No      
Timor-Leste Native No   Yes  
Tokelau (to New Zealand) Unknown No      
Tonga Native No      
Tuvalu Unknown No      
United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA) Native No   Yes  
USA Native No Yes    
Vanuatu Native No      
Vietnam Unknown No      
Wallis and Futuna Islands (to France) Native No      
Zimbabwe Vagrant No   Yes  

Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria

Country/Territory IBA Name IBA link
Chile Isla Sala y Gómez site factsheet
Christmas Island (to Australia) Christmas Island site factsheet
Indonesia Pulau Manuk site factsheet
Seychelles Aldabra atoll site factsheet
USA Northwestern Hawaiian Islands site factsheet

Habitats & altitude

Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level suitable breeding
Marine Neritic Macroalgal/Kelp major resident
Marine Neritic Pelagic major resident
Marine Neritic Seagrass (Submerged) major resident
Marine Neritic Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel major resident
Marine Neritic Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs major resident
Marine Neritic Subtidal Sandy major resident
Marine Neritic Subtidal Sandy-Mud major resident
Marine Oceanic Epipelagic (0-200m) major resident
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable breeding
Altitude 0 - 150 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact

Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Climate change & severe weather Other impacts Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Unknown Unknown Unknown
Stresses
Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality

Utilisation

Purpose Primary form used Life stage used Source Scale Level Timing
Pets Whole Adults and juveniles Wild International Non-trivial Recent

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Fregata minor. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013.

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.

Key facts
Current IUCN Red List category Least Concern
Family Fregatidae (Frigatebirds)
Species name author (Gmelin, 1789)
Population size mature individuals
Population trend Decreasing
Distribution size (breeding/resident) 24,800 km2
Country endemic? No
Links to further information
- Summary information on this species