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A Lesser Frigaterbird (<I>Fregata Ariel</I>) in California: a First for the State

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A Lesser Frigaterbird (<I>Fregata Ariel</I>) in California: a First for the State ss ' te i: o s N BRIANL. SULLIVANßCORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY ßP.O. BOX 51701 ß PACIFIC GROVE, CALIFORNIA 93950 ß (EMAIL: [email protected]) MARSHALLJ. ILIFFß CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY ß282 PERHAM STREET ßWEST ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS 02132 ß (EMAIL: [email protected]) PETERL. RALPHß DEPARTMENTOF STATISTICS ßUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA ß BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94720 C.J. RALPHß U.S. FOREST SERVICE ßREDWOOD SCIENCES LABORATORY ß1700 BAYVIEW DRIVE ßARCATA, CALIFORNIA 95521 ß (EMAIL: [email protected]) STEVENT. KELLINGßCORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY. 159 SAPSUCKER WOODS ROAD ß ITHACA,NEW YORK 14850. (EMAIL:[email protected]) Abstract This papersummarizes the occurrenceand identification of California's first Lesser Frigatebird(Fregata ariel), a subadultfemale photographedon 15 July 2007 at Lanphere Dunesnear Arcata,Humboldt County. This recordis the fourthof thisspecies for North America and the first in the eastern Pacific Oceanof theWestern Hemisphere. Field encounter On the eveningof 15 July 2007, MarshallJ. lliff, C.J.Ralph, Peter Ralph, and Brian L. Sul- livan were observingbirds at the Lanphere Dunes,a unit of the HumboldtBay National Wildli[e Refuge,west of Arcata,Humboldt County.California (40 ø 53' 43" N, 124ø 8' 58" W). The weatherwas unusuallycalm and warm, with approximatelyeighty percent cloudcover. At about18:30 PST, Peter Ralph spotteda frigatebird(Fregata species) soaring roughly100 m abovethe waterand approxi- mately500 m drstant,moving slightly south- wardand toward the observers, apparently •n- vestigatingan activefeeding flock of Com- mon Murres(Uria aalge)and BrandtgCor- morants(Phalacwcorax penicillatus). He im- mediatelyalerted C. J Ralphand Sullivanto the bird'spresence, and Sullivan alerted Iliff. Within a minute,all werewatching the bird through binoculars.Sullivan and quickly traineda spottingscope on thebird andwas ableto agethe bird asan immatureby virtue of its largelywhite head.lliff soonarrived, andwe tradeddistant scope views of the bird asit driftednorthward away from us. Figure1. FemaleLesser Frigatebird, Lanphere Dunes, Hum- boldtCounty, California, 15July 2007. In this image, note the brightpink bill, black"V" extending into the white of the cen- tralbreast, and bright pink feet. Photograpl• byAfarsl•allJ. Iliff. 540 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS ALESSER FRIGATEBIRD INCALIFORNIA view for the next ten minutes, div- and lliff andSullivan were able to geta series ing and swoopingover the distant of flightshots (Figures 3-8). CarolRalph ar- treeline.Finally, the bird disap- rivedjust in timeto seethe bird overheadas pearedfrom view over the treesto it disappearedlow over the westerntreeline theeast. At thispoint, the three ob- and headed toward the ocean. servers on the outer dunes decided Numerousbirders arrived shortly thereafter, to headinland towards the place and we searched until dusk with no further where the bird was last seen. About signof the frigatebird.Subsequent searches by ten minuteslater froma position othersthe following morning and next day up farther inland on the dunes, Peter and down the coast failed to relocate the bird. Ralphrelocated the bird again soar- Wewere uncertain of thespecies identification ingover the same treeline, at which until later that evening,when we consulted poinl it waswatched through the Harrison(1984) and Harrison(1987); photo- spottingscope and photographed graphsin the lattersource reminded us that by Sullivan.After a fewminutes of thepinkish bill wasnearly diagnostic for Less- soaring, the frigatebird briefly er Frigatebird(E ariel),a speciesthat we had perchedin a largeconifer. It quick- suspectedduring the observation based on the Figure2. FemaleLesser Frigatebird, Lanphere Dunes, Humboldt County, Califor- ly tookflight again and began soar- prominentwhite axillary spurs. nia,15 July 2007. This image shows the distinctive pinkbill to good advantage aswell as the head pattern: a mostly white head with a dark hindneck, indicat- ing but then disappearedinto a ingan immature female. Photograph byMarsfie# J.Ilia.. largeclearing that consistedof a Description sandy dune systembordered by The followingdescription is basedon notes We couldonly seethe white chestand ax- conifersand dense undergrowth. Kelling and written followingthe observationand on illariesfrom this perspective,and we knew Ilifl reassembledduring this period,having photographs. thatbetter views would be neededto identify triedunsuccessfully to find thebird fromop- The Humboldt County frigatebirdwas the bird to the specieslevel. Sullivan had a positesides of the dunes, as the frigatebird was blackishoverall, with prominentpale alar camera,but thebird at thatpoint was too dis- so low over the treeline trial it would have barsthat reachedthe forewingand that ap- tantto be photographedwell. ]'he frigatebird been visible only intermittently.Iliff and pearedwhitish-buff in the field.The under- then driftednorthward along the beachfor Kellingwere reached by mobilephone and partswere largely blackish but with a promi- about three minutes, banked inland about a alertedto thebird's possible location. nentclean white breast, dusky head pattern kilometer north of us, and then turned inland Thinkingthe bird had perched,Sullivan (ata distance),and pale cinnamon on theup- and southward towards the Mad River andPeter Ralph headed off on a trailto geta perbreast (visible at a fair distance).White Slough.The groupthen set out in pursuit,as closer look, planning to thebird movedalong the forestedge just in- meet11iff and Kelling at this landfrom the slough. location,while C. J. Ralph :.,..;:' '. C.J. Ralphphoned the local bird alert with remainedatop a dune in thenews, hoping that others would be ableto case the bird took flight helpsearch. 3'he frigatebird followed the edge again.After a shorthike, the of the interiorriparian zone bordering the first observers arrived at the dunesystem, now headingsouthward toward sandyarea. Iliff and Kelling theRalph residence, flying at analtitude of ap- arrived at about the same proximately30 m. StevenT. Kellingwas at the time,and all beganscanning Ralphresidence and was alerted by phoneto thesurrounding area for the readyhimself with camera,in the eventthat perchedfrigatebird. After a thefrigatebird passed over the house. Iliff ran few minutes,Sullivan spot- to the house (where his camerawas located) to ted the bird perched20 m join Kellingin thesearch. The other three ob- high in a Douglas-fir,just serversremained on the duneswhere they 100 m away.Joined by C. J. Figure3. FemaleLesser Frigatebird, Lanphere Dunes, Humboldt County, California, 15July couldwatch the birdõ progress from a distance Ralph,we enjoyedexcellent 2007.As this bird leaves its perch ina Duuglar-fir,it reveals itswhite hindcollar and devel- andcoordinate the search with mobile phones. scopeviews of the perched opingblackish hood that has created a partial collar across the lower throat. This image bird and discussed the field alsoshows the pinkish orbital ring; Magnificent Frigatebird would be expected toshow a The frigatebirdhalted its southwardmove- bluishorbital ring. Photograph byMarshalI J.Iliff. mentabout halfway to thehouse and began to marks.Knowing that better interact with a few Common Ravens (Corvus photographswould be requiredto makea spursextended into theaxillaries, but theun- corax). The nature of this interaction was un- positiveidentification, Iliff movedcloser to derwingarea was largely dark otherwise. The clear,but theravens were vocalizing from be- the bird, and Sullivanwaited for flightshots bellywas black, with a darkextension point- low thetrees while the frigatebird appeared to in casethe birdtook off. 11iff was able to ap- ing towardthe lower breast. takeevasive flight tactics by diving and swoop- proachwithin a reasonabledistance and ob- ingjust overthe treeline.It wasimpossible to tainedgood photographs of the bird perched Generalshape and size--Readilyidentifiable tellif theravens were chasing the frigatebird or (Figures1-2). After ten minutesof observa- as a frigatebirdby virtueof the long,forked vice-versa,aswe never actually saw the ravens. tion, the frigatebirdtook flightand headed tail,overall black and white coloration, sharply The frigatebird.however. was periodically in westward,directly over the observers'heads, angledwings, and large size (Figures 1-8). Di- VOLUME 61 (2007) NUMBER 4 541 LESSERFRiGATEBIRD INCALIFORNIA on frigatebirdidentification and solicited the opinionsof expertsfamiliar with anyor all of the frigatebirdspecies. The sourceswe found mosthelpful were Howell(1994), Harrison (1984), andJames (2004). Belowwe discussthe specificcharacters that led us to conclude the bird was a kesser Frigatebirdand allowedus to rule out the other contenders,combining known field charactersof adultsand thesuspected devel- opmentand maturation processes in frigate- birdswith thelogical developmental stages of immature females. Probability In North America,the usualassumption has Figure4. FemaleLesser Frigatebird, Lanphere Dunes, Humboldt County, Califomia, 15July 2007. This image shows that the onna- beenthat any vagrant frigatebird is mostlike- monfeathering below the throat fell largely bdow the pattem of dad• plumage developing onthe head. The nanow black collar ap- ly to be a MagnificentFrigatebird, which pearsas though it will extend across the throat as the plumage matures, creating a solid black hood; a dad• throat in adult female breedsin Floridaand northern Mexico. Mag- plumageisshared byMagnificent Frigatebird butnot Great Frigatebird. Photograph byB•ian L Sullivan
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