The frigate, with a body about the size of a chicken, stands out from other seabirds in many ways. Considered by some to be the greatest flier of all birds, it can perform amazing tricks in the air that few birds can match; these include eating, drinking and even sleeping while airborn. It can fly 1000 miles without resting and has no problem rising as much as 4000 feet into the sky. The Creator has provided the means for such flights by giving it extremely light-weight bones, along with an eight-foot wingspread and strong, forked tail to act as a rudder and brake.
Another name for it is man-of-war, because of its bad habits. Sharing islands with great colonies of other birds, it robs them whenever there is opportunity. For instance, seeing a booby flying with a fish in its beak it goes after it, sometimes even grabbing the booby’s tail and shaking it until it drops its catch, which the frigate then claims for itself. At other times one will land on a pelican’s head and eat fish right out of its pouch.
This behavior seems strange, because it is quite capable of catching its own food when necessary. Spotting a fish while flying over water, it drops straight down as though headed for a crash landing, but just before hitting the water its tail and wings fan out to break the speed, and it snatches the fish without getting more than its large beak wet.
Frigates nest in many ocean places, including southern California, Mexico, the Gulf states and tropical islands. The female is a plain brown color, but the male has a jet-black body and bluish green head, plus a flap of red skin suspended from his breast which he can pump up with air to make a red balloon nearly as large as himself. This he does when seeking a mate, standing on his perch, throwing his head back and forth and with loud whoops seeming to say, “Don’t you think I’m beautiful? Let’s build a nest together.” Sure enough, some female responds to this invitation. Then, after he picks a spot for their nest, she takes over building it with sticks that he brings to her. Soon they settle down to raise just one chick, to which they give their careful attention for about a year.
Such birds remind us of the great variety to be found in God’s creation. And isn’t it nice that it is so, for we wouldn’t want every bird, every animal, or even every human to look alike, would we? And so it is with each of us; our way of life is different one from another, but the important thing is to let the Lord Jesus rule our lives, as the Bible verse says, “Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually. Remember His marvelous works that He hath done.” 1 Chronicles 16:11,1211Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. 12Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; (1 Chronicles 16:11‑12). Do you do this? Is He your guide through life?
ML-08/24/1986