In a monumental new chapter for this magnificent bird, nine endangered Guam kingfishers are now living in the wild at TNC’s Palmyra Atoll Preserve. Known as sihek by the indigenous CHamoru* people, these colorful birds are native to Guam, where they have deep cultural and spiritual significance. But in the 1940s the arrival of an invasive species—the brown tree snake—led to the sihek becoming extinct in the wild, with the last wild sighting in 1988.
The loss of wild sihek in Guam is a tragedy. While the road to reintroducing them to their native forests is long, conservationists around the globe are working together to achieve this goal. Since the 1980s, the island bird has survived in conservation zoos and other wildlife facilities. Today, around 130 adult sihek are cared for at 25 zoos and institutions and a Guam Department of Agriculture facility.
