The sihek, or Guam Kingfisher, is making its way back into the wild with the release of nine birds on Palmyra Atoll. The historic event has been a decades-long, global recovery effort as the sihek has not been seen in the wild since 1988, finally being declared Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN (The International Union for Conservation of Nature) in 2014. Over the years, dedicated efforts have been made by zoological organizations, government departments, conservation non-governmental organizations, volunteers, community members and multiple sponsors across the globe to ensure that the sihek have a fighting chance at adorning Guam’s skies once again. Sihek recovery began almost 40 years ago with the saving of the last remaining 28 sihek on the island, now with a little over 120 in captivity across 24 U.S zoos, including some right here at home under the care of the Guam Department of Agriculture.
The sihek is an endemic species to Guam, which means that it is a species unique to, and only ever found on, the island. While there are many other kingfishers across the world, the Guam Kingfisher’s characteristics are distinguished by its cinnamon-colored head and chest (white chests for females), and metallic blues and ceruleans covering its wings and tail. The sihek appear to be wearing a mask with black streaks formed around their eyes. Sihek are medium-sized birds that can measure approximately 22 cm and weigh between 50-70 grams. While its name might suggest it forages for fish, the sihek’s natural diet primarily includes small insects, lizards, and crustaceans.
Palmyra Atoll, located in the Pacific 3,600 miles away from Guam, currently hosts nine sihek that made their way on August 28, 2024 from Wichita, Kansas to the island, with five male and four female birds set to be the initial repopulating hope for the species. Palmyra Atoll was designated as the sihek’s new home with attributes similar to Guam’s tropical ecosystem, also untouched by invasive species like the brown tree snake–the sihek’s central predator and culprit for the population’s rapid decline and extinction. The atoll serves as an ideal location to learn how best to support sihek as they return to life in the wild and, ultimately, we hope to provide wild born birds for eventual reintroduction to Guam.
Recovery efforts on Palmyra Atoll are expected to be ongoing with annual expansions and the release of nine birds per year, until 10 breedings pairs are established. This island may eventually hold a population of up to 30 breeding pairs and it is hoped that it will naturally grow to this through breeding by local birds. We will carefully follow the growing population on Palmyra Atoll to learn and adapt management to best support this first wild population. This is where your support comes into play in providing the crucial contributions for resources they need not only to survive, but to thrive. We hope to be one of many avenues that pave the way to bring the sihek home.
Although recovery efforts of the sihek are currently in place on the atoll, the return of the sihek to Guam is the ultimate goal once threats like the brown tree snake overwhelming the island (a ratio of 1 snake per 10 people) are under control. While there are many efforts through government agencies and private organizations combating all the dangers to Guam’s natural habitats and creatures, the island will not see the sihek flourish until these predators are controlled; but Palmyra Atoll proxies as a starting point full of hope, resilience, and restoration.
The nine kingfisher on Palmyra Atoll, that we here at King and Rail have dubbed “The Heirs”, were named by the public with IDs perfectly catered to their personalities. Sihek names include:
Tutuhon - CHamoru for “start” or the beginning” (F)
_edited.png){kind=small}
Comments