Ascension frigatebird

Fregata aquila

The Ascension frigatebird (Fregata aquila) is a bird found in St. Helena, Portugal, Spain, Cape Verde and France. Open Atlantic ocean around Ascension Island. It eats fish, small mammals and birds and reptiles and frogs. The IUCN Red List lists it as Vulnerable.

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Scientific name	Fregata aquila
Region	Africa
Found in	St. Helena, Portugal, Spain, Cape Verde and France

🏡 Where the Ascension frigatebird lives

Open Atlantic ocean around Ascension Island.

🍽️ What it eats

🐟 Fish80%
🐭 Mammals & birds10%
🦎 Reptiles & frogs10%

A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).

Conservation status

LCNTVUENCREWEX

VulnerableGetting rare. It needs our help.

💡 Frigatebirds steal fish from other seabirds in the air, and males puff out a bright red throat pouch.

Questions about the Ascension frigatebird

Where does the Ascension frigatebird live?

The Ascension frigatebird lives in St. Helena, Portugal, Spain, Cape Verde and France. Open Atlantic ocean around Ascension Island.

What does the Ascension frigatebird eat?

fish (about 80%), small mammals and birds (about 10%), reptiles and frogs (about 10%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.

Is the Ascension frigatebird endangered?

Getting rare. It needs our help. Its IUCN Red List category is Vulnerable.

More birds from Africa

Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.