It’s a plane! It’s a kite! It’s the batman signal!

Magnificent frigatebird by Tom Wilmers.

Well, actually it is a Magnificent Frigatebird here in the Florida Keys. To catch sight of these birds one must rise early at dawn; that’s when it is the best time to see them in their natural habitat and the backdrop of Key’s sky behind the Frigatebird make their colors just pop! We went to observe a colony in the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge.  It’s not every day one gets to go into backcountry in the Florida Keys either. It was as if I had a private VIP tour of the backcountry. The waves roaring and the wind gives you sea salt kisses as you’re riding out to the colony.  Once there my eyes are in awe, there were several frigatebirds hovering over their colony while the mangrove trees were filled by the dozens of them too. With a breeding season that can take two years from mating to the end of parental care, one of my interesting discoveries was seeing a chick. I could have literally stayed out there all day and just watched the interaction between all the birds.

How can you help the Magnificent Frigatebird? When boating please be mindful and use caution when passing nesting or roosting areas. The Frigatebirds can get very frantic and easily startled, if you see them circling in the skies, you may have gotten too close!

Ferrisa Connell, Student Conservation Association Intern, reporting on an experience with Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge biologists, conducting a backcountry birding survey.

Organizers’ Note: You’ll be able to witness the magnificent frigatebird at this year’s event. Take one of our guided boating trips into the backcountry or to Dry Tortugas National Park to see this remarkable bird in an incredible setting. Of course, if all else fails, and you’re in the Keys, just look up!