| Common Name | Magnificent Frigate Bird |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Fregata magnificens |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 08/07/2020 |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Peter J Thompson |
| Mailing Address | PO Box 46 Post Mills, VT 05058 United States Map It |
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| Date Completed | 08/18/2020 |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 43°53'15.10"N |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 72°15'10.10"W |
| Place Name | Post MIlls |
| Township | Thetford |
| County | Orange |
| Time of Day | 09:15 AM |
| Length of Time Observed | two minutes |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 850 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 350 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Two days following Isaias Hurricane. |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | naked eye |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | zero |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Row of trees along brook between fields, which are in a line toward a lake. |
| Behaviors Observed | A graceful, soaring flight with occasional flapping and turning. It was just above the treetops, and started to land in the tallest pine, but then moved on, rising rapidly in altitude. |
| Description of Vocalizations | None. |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | I was pulling weeds in my driveway and suddenly saw a very, very large black bird off across the field. I did not have field glasses or a camera. It flew rapidly but easily just above the line of trees from west to east, and dipped briefly to the tallest pine. It did not seem to be aware of me. |
| Relative Size & Shape | One of the largest birds in flight I've ever seen. |
| Head | Black. |
| Feet & Bill | I could not see feet or bill clearly. |
| Upper Back | Black. |
| Lower Back & Rump | Black. |
| Wings | Very long, with a bend convex upwards as it flapped, no markings. |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | White patch on the flank towards me. |
| Tail | Quite long, maybe 1/3 of its body length, which I could see was forked at one point, but not all the time. Black. |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | No white head or tail eliminates a bald eagle. |
| Other Notes & Comments | No. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Immediately After |
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