Extra-marine occurrence of the magnificent frigatebird fregata magnificens in the metropolitan region of sao paulo, southeast brazil

The Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens (MAFR) has the largest area of occurrence of any species in the Fregatidae family, with a large nesting colony in Southeast Brazil. However, studies with birds that occur on the coastal plain and in other areas of the continent are lacking. We organized information obtained in the field, from the literature, and from online ornithological platforms, and we evaluated the occurrence of MAFR on the plateau of the Metropolitan Region of Sao Paulo (MRSP), the largest urban area in South America. A total of 31 records were obtained dating back to 1960. Twelve of the records are concentrated near large reservoirs. The records indicate homogeneous seasonality over the years and occasional occurrence in a little-known extra-marine domain on the MRSP plateau. This occurrence has been detected in medium-and long-term field studies and by both photographers and bird watchers. Occurrence can be attributed to the proximity of this region to the coast and to the high flight capacity of these birds, in addition to the female and juvenile behavior of flying great distances, although these hypotheses need to be tested with new information.