Seabird order
Suliformes
Gannets, boobies, cormorants and frigatebirds
This order brings together some of the most spectacular fishers at sea, from plunge-diving gannets to piratical frigatebirds.
A group redefined by DNA
These birds were once placed with pelicans in the order Pelecaniformes, because all have four webbed toes. Genetic studies showed they form their own lineage, and the order Suliformes was recognized.
Gannets and boobies
Gannets and boobies are plunge divers. They fold their wings and hit the water at speed to catch fish. Gannets nest in dense colonies in cooler seas. Boobies live in the tropics.
Cormorants and shags
Cormorants and shags pursue fish underwater, propelled by their feet. Their plumage is less waterproof than that of many seabirds, which is why they are often seen with wings spread to dry.
Frigatebirds
Frigatebirds have the largest wing area relative to body weight of any bird and can stay aloft for weeks. They snatch food from the surface and chase other seabirds to steal their catch. Males inflate a red throat pouch in courtship.
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