Frigatebird Glutton

Yesterday when we were banding MABO chicks we noticed a Frigatebird sitting on the ground like it was in some distress. If you remember from earlier posts Great Frigatebirds are the pirates of the bird colonies. One of their favorite meals are young chicks that they steal from other nests in the colonies. This particular Frigate had a huge crop and tail feathers sticking out of its mouth. It had eaten a bird that was so large that it couldn't get all of its meal swallowed and the weight of the prey made it impossible for the Frigate to get airborne. I looked a little later and he was no longer in sight. He had digested enough of its prey to get airborne.