Guam Kingfisher AKA Sihek

The sihek - also known as the Guam kingfisher - is one of only 12 forest birds to historically inhabit the island of Guam. The accidental introduction of brown treesnakes in the 1940s decimated Guam’s native bird populations, including sihek. To save the species, 29 of Guam’s last wild sihek were taken into captivity. Today, there are 137 adults in human care. The last wild sighting was in 1988. The sihek is Extinct in the Wild on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Snakes still pose a major threat on Guam, and inbreeding is an issue of concern with such a small population.
If awarded $1 million from the Indianapolis Zoo’s Saving Species Challenge, conservationists would take the following steps:
Rear captive sihek for release
Release up to nine fledglings per year at Palmyra Atoll
Adapt management of the wild population as needed
Refine techniques for future releases
Eventually reintroduce sihek in Guam
You can learn more about the sihek from the IUCN SSC Conservation Translocation Specialist Group.
The winner of the Indianapolis Zoo’s Saving Species Challenge will be announced later this year. Bookmark www.ProtectSpecies.com for updates.