Bird Survey: Jackass Key (Pinellas NWR), Jan 1st

Jackass Key is the only place in the Pinellas NWR where we consistently find Magnificent Frigatebirds when they are in our area.

Frigates over Jackass Key

They typically don't breed north of the Dry Tortugas (the red dot on the map)

Immature birds have a white head, this one is preening in flight.

This species forages in the air, swooping close to the water to take items from on or near the surface, making very little contact with the water.

They never swim and can actually drown if they happen to fall in the water as their feathers are not waterproof.

Scratch that itch!

Males have a red gular pouch

A long-winged, fork-tailed bird of the tropical oceans, these birds are agile fliers that in addition to snatching food off the surface of the oceans is also adept at stealing food from other birds.

We saw only males and immature birds as the females have migrated back southward.

 A handsome Double-crested Cormorant with the turquoise iris is in front of a male Frigate whose gular pouch is partially inflated.

With a 6 foot wingspan, these seagoing fliers can stay aloft for weeks at a time!

They can soar for many, many miles without ever flapping their wings.  Satellite tags have shown that they can fly as high as 12,000 feet (as high as parts of the Rocky Mountains) an altitude that is in freezing conditions. No other bird can fly this high relative to the sea surface.