Pelagic seabird bycatch incident in tuna longline at Lakshadweep

Raju, Aju K and Sreenath, K R and Sobhana, K S (2025) Pelagic seabird bycatch incident in tuna longline at Lakshadweep. Indian Birds, 21 (1). p. 27.

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Abstract

A Frigatebird Fregata sp. was one of at least two potential Frigatebirds trapped on a longline offshore. One bird was released at the incident site, and hence its definite identity cannot be established. The other one was injured and taken by the fishermen to the island. The injured bird [31] was identified as an adult Great Frigatebird Fregata minor based on its black head and white underparts without any tawny plumage. The amount of white, starting from the throat, indicates it was a female. The blackish throat is restricted and the bill is fairly long indicating that it is neither Lesser- F. ariel nor Christmas Island Frigatebird F. andrewsi. Additionally, the pinkish bill indicated it was not the smaller subspecies F. m. listeri from Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) and north-west Australia, but the western Indian Ocean breeding F. m. aldabrensis. The bird had lost some of its retrices (tail feathers) and primaries (flight feathers) in the accident and was not able to fly. We saw the bird perching free in the courtyard of one of the fisher’s houses. It was yet to gain the lost feathers but was later released.

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