Great Frigatebird

Kauaʻi evidence

Bishop Museum island checklist (version 2, 2017) lists Kauaʻi status M: migrant or nonbreeding visitor. See original island table. The record includes Kauaʻi-specific or clearly defined regional evidence appropriate to its stated occurrence status.

Occurrence evidence

bishop_island_checklist_2017

Names and classification

Scientific name

Fregata minor

Common names

Great Frigatebird

Family

Fregatidae

Order

Suliformes

Record type

Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence

Kauaʻi documented: migrant or nonbreeding visitor (2017 island checklist)

Origin

Indigenous

Conservation status

Not assessed

Evidence date

2026-09-13

Evidence limits

Island occurrence supported by the 2017 checklist; abundance and current year presence are not established here

Habitat and ecology

Habitats

Shorelines · Coastal habitat · Offshore waters and islands

Food and resource needs

Takes prey on the wing or from the water areas, catches flyingfish, joins mixed feeding flocks over predatory fish, and kleptoparasitizes other seabirds, especially boobies.

Reproduction

Suitable nesting or roosting sites, seasonal food, and protection from disturbance and predators.

Shelter

Shelter and structure within shorelines, coastal habitat, offshore waters and islands.

Threats and conservation

Threats

Introduced predators at colonies, vegetation/habitat degradation, and overfishing effects mediated by predatory fish that drive prey to the areas

Conservation actions

Protect roosting islets, maintain offshore sanctuary biosecurity, track interactions with booby colonies, and include predatory-fish/feeding-flock dependence in marine condition layers

Monitoring

Track occurrence, abundance, habitat condition, breeding or seasonal use, and significant threats.

Data gaps

Update island status with dated contemporary records · Specific Kauaʻi habitat and abundance need local evidence

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing

Year Round Kauai Coastal Roosting And Foraging

Seasonal description

Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) is recorded as a migrant or nonbreeding visitor on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist. This is a documented island occurrence, not a claim of an individual sighting in 2026.

Sources and further reading

• https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/birds/iwa/
• https://kauaiseabirdproject.org/great-frigatebird/
• https://www.fws.gov/refuge/kilauea-point/species
• https://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/SEHIlist.htm

Explore field guides

• Kauaʻi Birds