The Philadelphia Zoo has been a leader in the conservation of this endangered species since the Guam Bird Rescue Project was initiated in 1983. The Zoo currently holds a total of two breeding pairs.
On exhibit you will find one pair of Micronesian kingfishers in our Pacific Islands exhibit:
Dylan: Male, was hatched on May 8, 2007 at the Milwaukee County Zoo. He arrived here on November 9, 2009.
Female: Hatched on September 15, 2008 at the San Diego Safari Park. She arrived in Philadelphia on November 20, 2009.
This pair was introduced on June 2, 2010 and has produced one chick, hatched July 21, 2011. The chick was hand reared to ensure its survival and is currently off-exhibit.
The Micronesian kingfisher is a medium-sized kingfisher with a large, strong beak. The Guam subspecies is sexually dimorphic in color with males blue above and rusty cinnamon below and females similar but with white underparts. The Guam Micronesian kingfisher is no longer found in the wild where it was driven almost to extinction by predation by the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) that was introduced to the island. In the 1980’s the Philadelphia Zoo in conjunction with other US zoos and the Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources, captured as many of the remaining birds that could be found on Guam (29 in all) to establish a captive breeding population in the hopes of re-introducing birds to the wild someday. Recently, a captive breeding population has been established on Guam as we move closer to the ultimate goal of having Micronesian kingfishers flying wild once again on Guam.
Longevity
Unknown in the wild. Captive birds live on average about 10 to 12 years but some birds have lived into their 20s.
Behavior
Before it disappeared on Guam, the Micronesian kingfisher had a reputation for aggression towards other birds and was accused of being a chicken thief. Although the Guam Micronesian kingfisher was not well studied in the wild before it disappeared, based on research on related Micronesian kingfisher on other Pacific islands and the behavior of the birds in captivity, Guam kingfishers appear to be highly territorial birds that establish multi-purpose territories year round.
Reproduction
Like some other species in the kingfisher group (e.g., Kookaburra) Micronesian kingfishers live in cooperative breeding groups consisting of a breeding pair and one or more older offspring. Pairs share the task of excavating a hole in a tree to use for nesting. Clutches are most commonly 2 eggs but can range from 1 to 3 eggs. Both the male and female share incubation duties and feed chicks once they hatch. Eggs hatch about 23 days after laying and chicks fledge from the nest about 30 days later.
To learn more about the conservation efforts at the Philadelphia Zoo, click here.