The monsoon season—for Fuvahmulah—attracts thousands of frigate birds, or locally known as huraa. These birds have long wings, a streamlined shape, and low weight, which gives them outstanding maneuverability in the air. When the season meets the magnificent atmospheres of the enigmatic island, flocks of frigate birds soar miles above the ground. The predators silently glide in the air, waiting for the prey. They soar endlessly through the bright sky, only to plummet to the ground like a stone upon spotting a fish near the surface. When flying fish (locally known as hulhanmaha) leap out of water, the frigate birds take advantage from the air by descending quickly to catch the flying fish.
People who catch frigate birds carry long bamboo poles and climb up some palm trees that are exclusively used for this purpose. The pole has a string, similar to a fishing line, attached at the top of the pole. The powerful string is around three times the length of the pole. At the end of the string is a lead weight, locally known as bari.
The specialist men hide at the top of the coconut palm within the top leaves. They wait till a frigate bird hovers relatively close (around 8 to 20 ft) to the top of the palm tree they are hiding on. When a bird enters the aerial territory of the specialist men, they swirl the pole around its wings. The specialist men will knot the string around the bird’s wings. The specialist men collect, tie, and drop the birds to the ground. Normally a person will be on the ground to collect the birds.
