This is bird note.

Some birds are masters at catching fish.

In the warmer regions of the world's oceans, large seabirds called boobies plunge head first into the water,

snatching fish in their dagger-shaped bills.

But as a booby flies up from the waves with a fish now in its gullet,

there may be another big seabird.

A frigate bird waiting overhead,

with its eye on the booby and on the booby's fresh catch.

Now begins one of nature's great chase scenes.

The booby flaps full throttle away from the frigate bird, but there's no escaping.

With a light body suspended on long narrow wings and a long scissor-like tail to match, the frigate

bird is faster and more agile.

It lopes up behind the frantic booby,

and with its long slender hooked bill

clamps onto the booby's tail or a wing tip.

Thus snagged, in midair, the booby flails.

A crash is imminent, unless it surrenders what the frigate bird wants.

So it disgorges the fish it's just captured. The frigate bird releases the

booby and swiftly snatches the free-falling fish.

Fortunately for boobies, frigate birds don't steal all their meals. Most of the time

they hunt their own seafood. Perhaps a squid snapped from the ocean, or a flying fish as it skims across the waves.

But now and again, when a chance comes up, they'll take it.

...