BER DS OF SAMOA IQ 
The bird is characterised by its 
slender -‘body, short and thick 
neck, long and powerful hooked 
beak, elongated and sharply-pointed 
wings, and a long forking tail. 
The plumage of the adult male is 
brownish black, with metallic green 
and purple on the head, neck, back, 
breast and sides, and shaded with 
grey on the wings. The beak is 
light blue at the base, white in the 
middle, and dark horn colour at the 
tip, the throat orange-red in the 
breeding season, and the foot car- 
mine-red above and orange beneath. 
The Frigate Bird is called “The 
Son-of-the-Sun.” It is one of the 
most swift of the pelagic birds, and 
spends much of its time far out at 
sea. It has been seen hiding in the 
lee of the cocoanut trees and sud- 
a 
