Frigatebirds are famous for a clever — if cheeky — trick: they often steal fish right out of the beaks of other birds in mid-air! This earned them the nickname 'man-o'-war birds'. They swoop and harass other seabirds until the unlucky bird drops its catch, then the frigatebird dives and catches the fish before it hits the water. It is like a sky robbery in slow motion.
Male frigatebirds have a brilliant scarlet-red throat pouch called a gular sac. During mating season, they sit in trees and puff it up like a big round balloon, then rattle their bills and call loudly to attract females flying overhead. A group of males all inflating their pouches together is one of the most astonishing sights in nature.
Kiribati is one of the best places in the world to see frigatebirds, especially on Kiritimati. They nest in trees and shrubs just above the shore in huge colonies, and their nests — messy platforms of sticks — are everywhere. Locals have long admired the frigatebird's incredible flying ability, and it appears in traditional stories and artwork.