“Still more mature bird (? plumage of the third year).—Head, neck, chest, and upper parts darker brown, and more like those of the adult; the breast and belly thickly mixed with the pure white feathers of the adult. These appear to be entirely attained by molt, many half-grown ones being concealed beneath the plumage.” (Grant.)
This gannet is quite abundant about the small islands north of Luzon and it probably finds nesting places on some of the more isolated rocks. Gannets lay their chalky white eggs in the sand or construct flat nests of sticks which they place in bushes or trees. One or two eggs are deposited in a nest.
Family FREGATIDÆ.
Bill long and strongly hooked, both mandibles decurved at tip; lateral grooves deep; nostrils situated in the grooves and practically closed; a large naked and brightly colored gular pouch; wings pointed and extremely long; first primary longest; tail long and very deeply forked; feet absurdly small and weak for so large a bird; claw of middle toe pectinate; tarsus very short; plumage black with beautiful green and purple gloss.
Genus FREGATA Lacépède, 1799.
Characters same as those given for the Family.
Species.
- a1. Breast and sides black (males).
- a2. Breast and sides white (females).