Re: [cobirds] Magnificent Frigatebird

Hi Peter et al.,

Two Lesser Frigatebirds have been reported in the US this year, one in Ohio and one in California. (See https://www.aba.org/lesser-frigatebirds-in-ohio-and-california/). This species can be difficult to separate from Magnificent Frigatebird; key marks include white on the axillary feathers and sometimes a pinkish bill. Peter, is there any chance you can make the photos from Aug 1-2 available? If it's a Lesser Frigatebird it would be a first state record and the 8th for the ABA area. (One of the accepted Lesser Frigatebird records is from Wyoming.)

Anybody who chases this bird today should try to get good looks and photos to confirm which frigatebird species is involved.

Nathan Pieplow

Boulder

On Thu, Aug 6, 2026 at 7:11 AM Peter Gent <gent@ucar.edu> wrote:

All, 

Late yesterday evening, I received an email with a report of a female Magnificent Frigatebird from Rainbow Bay in Lake Granby. This report is now on eBird.  I then found a CBRC report of the same bird seen along the south shore of Lake Granby on August 1 and 2. This report has a better, but not great, photograph.  So, it looks like the bird has been there for a few days. This would be the 5th state record of this species in Colorado. 

Cheers,  Peter Gent. 

Boulder. 

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