Great Frigate Birds

Great Frigate Birds

Great Frigate Birds
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 3 to 6
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	7.47

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		tropical, aspect, commit, extremely, feathery, fully-grown, hence, lays, mating, mid-air, occasionally, offense, seabirds, mainly, criminal, living
	content words:		Atlantic Oceans

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Great Frigate Birds

¹     Seabirds living in tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian, or Atlantic Oceans don't like great frigate birds at all! Their resentment is easily understood, because great frigate birds (or man-o'-war birds) are bullies. Indeed, who would like to be chased, harassed, and forced to give up the food that they have just caught? It is no wonder that great frigate birds are unpopular.

²     Why do great frigate birds commit robbery? Well, the motive has a lot to do with their feathers and feet. Great frigate birds lack sufficient preening oil on their feathers to make the outfit waterproof. In addition, their web-less feet are too short and too small -- virtually useless for swimming or for taking off from the water. Since great frigate birds cannot afford to get their wings wet, they need to find alternative means to gather food. Fortunately, they are superb flyers. Hence, they use their gifted skill to intimidate their fellow seabirds, compelling them to throw up the catch in their throats. Once their victims let go of their hard-won food, great frigate birds swoop down to collect their prize.

³     Aside from pirating, great frigate birds also make their own catch. They fly above the surface, hold up their wings, and dip their long, hooked beaks into the water to snatch up prey. Great frigate birds mainly eat fish and squid. They occasionally supplement their diet with crustaceans, jellyfish, young turtles, baby birds, and eggs.

Paragraphs 4 to 6:
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