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[Frigatebirds] 白斑軍艦鳥 Lesser Frigatebird In Action !

Yes, wonderful photographs!

I'm wondering if this is a Christmas Island Frigatebird, rather than a Lesser Frigatebird.

Whereas Lesser is similar in overall length to a Black Kite, Christmas Island should appear bigger.

Based on its white head, it's a juvenile. Features mentioned by James (2004) for juvenile Christmas Island Frigatebird are:

* Axillary spurs (the white line extending from the breast across part of the underwing) long on Christmas Island and Lesser, short or absent on Greater - long
* Axillary spurs parallel-sided, angled slightly forwards - not especially parallel-sided on this bird, but definitely angled forward rather than back or positioned centrally
* Axillary spurs originate behind line of breast band - not sure
* White belly patch hexagonal (not triangular as on Lesser) - yes probably
* Alar bars (on upperwing) very prominent whitish - yes definitely
* Bill very long (cf shorter on Lesser Frigatebird) - hard to judge

Davis J. James "identification of Christmas Island, Great and Lesser Frigatebirds" BirdingASIA 1: 22-38; 2004.

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Yes I agree - too small for Christmas Island, can only be Lesser Frigatebird.

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