Cape Verde Frigate Birds Help Please (1 Viewer)

Magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificens Mathews, 1914
BOA VISTA: two females were seen at ilhéu de Curral Velho, 15 February 2014 (PLS). During a visit to Curral Velho islet on 10 January 2014, a frigatebird nest with a single egg was found, but during a subsequent visit on 13 March, only egg shells were found and the egg apparently did not hatch and was presumably predated (PLS). Away from Boa Vista, single male frigatebirds were reported from Sal, ca. 5 July 2014 (JC), and Raso, ca. 10 October 2014 (TM).
In November 2012, the total frigatebird population in Cape Verde was thought to consist of one male and one female (López Suárez et al. 2012). The sighting of two females at Curral Velho in February 2014 perhaps allows for some subdued optimism, be it of the most cautious sort. At present, Curral Velho islet is the only breeding locality of Fregata in the Cape Verde archipelago and, indeed, in the whole of the eastern Atlantic. There has been no nesting activity at the former breeding site of Baluarte islet, off eastern Boa Vista, during the past 10 years and breeding success at Curral Velho islet has been zero during the same period. It is as yet unclear if individual frigatebirds from the Cape Verde population wander into the Atlantic, only to return to the islands at a later date, or if trans-Atlantic dispersal occurs, with birds from Caribbean populations possibly reaching Cape Verde at times.

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Stephen Dunstan said:

I think Mike King ('GlosterBirder') was on Boavista earlier this month, not sure if he connected but maybe someone on here knows.

Stephen

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