With a forked tail and a wingspan as long as 7 feet, the Magnificent Frigatebird is aptly named. The males have a large red throat patch which inflates into a big red balloon during mating season. Native to the Galapagos Islands, the Frigatebird migrates to the Gulf each summer during breeding season. It nests on mangrove islands which are being profoundly impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil slick.

species native to the Gulf Coast