Frigatebirds in Love

A courting couple of Magnificent Frigatebirds sit on a nest on North Seymour Island in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. The female expresses her displeasure at the lack of privacy on their honeymoon. The male has a red neck (gular) pouch, which he inflates while flying to attract a female. Since he's found his lady love, his pouch is now deflated. Frigatebirds are very lightweight for their size so they can sit on shrubs, unlike heavier birds. Because this bird likes to steal food from other birds, it has been named after the pirate frigate ships of old. The bird can't swim, has short legs making it difficult to walk and has little protective oil on its feathers so it avoids getting wet. It snatches food from the surface of the ocean with its curved beak avoiding the water. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are mostly aerial, able to stay aloft for long periods, landing only to roost or breed on trees or cliffs.