conservation
THE PIRATES
OF THE CARIBBEAN Frigatebirds, the original pirates of the Caribbean, have ruled the roost in this tropical region long before Blackbeard or Johnny Depp were on the scene. Their name derives from the moniker “La Fregate” given to the birds by French naturalist Jean-Baptiste du Tertre back in 1667 after the warships commonly used pirates, whilst English mariners chose the moniker “Man-o-War” birds, after watching how they terrorise and steal from other seabirds.
B
But it is their real name that may best describe them. The magnificent frigatebird (fregata magnificens) is without doubt rather magnificent. With a colossal two-metre wingspan, seeing one soar effortlessly in the cobalt blue skies beneath puffy white clouds is a truly unforgettable sight. And Antigua & Barbuda is one of the best places in the world to get up close and personal with this enigmatic creature; not for nothing is it the twin islands’ national bird. Barbuda’s Codrington Lagoon – designated a Wetland of National Importance since the 1980s - has the largest frigatebird colony in the Western hemisphere, where up to 10,000 birds nest each year and cohabitate with more than 170 other species such as brown boobies, gulls, the endemic Barbuda warbler, and the endangered whistling duck. With just 1,500 people living in Barbuda, the island’s feathered population far outnumber its human one. No visit to this laidback and breathtakingly beautiful island is complete without taking a short boat ride from the longest unbroken beach in the West Indies to visit the scrubby mangroves where these black-feathered creatures are oblivious to the inquisitive humans who delight in taking close-up snaps and spying on their unusual courting rituals. Indeed, the September to April mating season is the best time to catch males at their most exuberant and photogenic. As the males compete to attract one of the females circling like kites above them, they puff up their ruby red throat pouch like large party balloons, then rattle and beat their bills
76
THE CITIZEN
