to the southeast of the bahamas there’s
another
a chain of islands marking the far
eastern boundary of the caribbean sea
at their outer limit jutting into the
atlantic
lies barbuda
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like the bahamas barbuda is flat and
famous for its endless sandy shores
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but step back from the beach and there’s
another
very different world a vast
shallow lagoon dotted with mangrove
trees
remote secluded and a stone’s throw from
rich atlantic fishing grounds
it attracts one of the world’s most
charismatic birds
at around 4 000 pairs this
is the caribbean’s largest colony of
magnificent frigate birds
each year from august october males fly
in from other corners of the caribbean
to breed
once a male arrives he’s got his work
cut out to find a mate
first he inflates a pouch to try to
stand out from the crowd
he has to jostle for a good nest site
high in the mangroves
then fight off rival males to keep it
all this aggression can be seriously
deflating
once he’s seen off the competition he
still has to lure a mate
he drums up interest from a browsing
female
and she comes in for a closer look
it’s hard to say exactly what a female
looks for in a partner
but a good nest site is crucial
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and this one isn’t up to scratch
plenty more birds in the sky
the females look for a location with
clear access
where the wind can lift them on and off
the nest
and this one seems ideal
but before the pair can raise a family
they have to build a nest
and for that they need plenty of the
frigate’s most valuable currency
sticks
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loose sticks can be hard to find
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and easy to lose
the male is ambushed by his fellow
frigates
the true pirates of the caribbean
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these high-speed aerial acrobats are
experts at
mid-air theft
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the male needs all his flying skills to
hang on to his stick
so he can build a nest
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