Christmas Island Frigatebird

A large-eyed and immaculately camouflaged nocturnal bird. Plumage is a mixture of brown, rufous, and gray speckling and barring, with a small white throat patch and a faint rufous collar. Found mostly in and around forest. Recorded roosting on sandy beaches and mangrove roots. Superficially similar to Solomons Frogmouth but unlikely to be confused. Song reported to sound similar to an axe hitting wood, a staccato “tok-tok-tok.”

Huge gamebird of conifer forest, adjacent moorland, and clearings with shrubs, mainly in wilder areas. Mostly elusive, but occasional males go "rogue" and attack hikers. Groups of males display just after dawn in early spring, holding their tail raised and fanned like a turkey. Massive male is blackish overall with long tail, white shoulder spot. Female appreciably smaller than male, told from smaller female Black Grouse by unbarred rusty breast and bright rusty tail with black bars.

Attractive oriole of the interior and highlands; some migrate in winter to Pacific coast lowlands. Favors scrubby woodlands and semiopen areas with tall hedges of flowering trees; also flowering coconut plantations on the Pacific coast. Usually in pairs; found as often apart from other orioles as mixed with them. Sexes alike: yellow breast has a distinctive, burnished orange tone. Upperparts appear wholly black when rump is covered by wings. Black vent area diagnostic on adult. Immature variable: note lack of wingbars, orange tones to yellow plumage, and rather long, straight bill.