The Guam Micronesian kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus), “sihek” in Chamorro (native language of Guam), was once found throughout the island of Guam in the Mariana Islands. Along with most of Guam’s endemic birds, the Guam Micronesian kingfisher declined dramatically in the 1970’s and 1980’s as a result of predation by the introduced brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis).
The brown tree snake is native to Papua New Guinea and likely arrived on Guam as a stowaway on ships arriving in Guam during or shortly after WWII. The wildlife on Guam was unprepared to defend against this invasive snake as there is only one native snake on Guam, a small blind snake that does not prey on birds. By 1988, many of the native birds of Guam had been eliminated by snake predation, primarily on their nests (chicks and eggs). To save Guam’s endemic bird species from certain extinction, the Philadelphia Zoo partnered with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to form the Guam Bird Rescue Project.
Between 1984 and 1986, as part of the Guam Bird Rescue Project, 29 Micronesian kingfishers were captured and transferred to the Philadelphia Zoo for quarantine and then distributed to other zoos in the US. The establishment of this critical captive breeding population was instrumental in saving this unique island bird from extinction. The last wild Micronesian kingfisher was sighted on Guam in 1988 and this species currently survives only in captivity.
Although the brown tree snake is believed to be the primary cause of the decline of the Guam Micronesian kingfisher, and a primary threat for any successful reintroduction, there are other factors that could also have a negative effect. Other potential predators including, feral cats, introduced rats (Polynesian and Norway) and monitor lizards; habitat destruction, since the Micronesian kingfisher relies on mature forests for their nesting habitat, and competition by the introduced bird, the black drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus); all remain issues for the kingfisher.
During the period from 2003 to 2008, nine Micronesian kingfishers bred in US zoos were returned to a captive breeding center on Guam established with the help of the Philadelphia Zoo. The first breeding occurred two years later and if this positive trend continues, we soon hope to reintroduce kingfishers to snake-free portions of the forest of Guam.
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Photo credit: Randy Junge |
Efforts continue to improve captive breeding, identify appropriate release sites, control brown tree snake population numbers on Guam and work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources and all of the participating zoos to move towards establishing a wild population of the Guam Micronesian kingfisher. Though brown tree snake population numbers peaked in the 1980’s and have declined since due, in part, to intensive control efforts by the US Department of Agriculture and USFWS, it is unlikely the snake will ever be completely gone from the Island, adding an ongoing challenge to
managing their recovery.
As a way of engaging the community in our work, Philadelphia Zoo staff collaborated with our educator on Rodrigues to model our success with the
Rodrigues Enviromental Educator Project and designed an environmental education kit to teach students on the island of Guam and the neighboring island of Rota about the Micronesian kingfisher. In 2008, Zoo staff used the kits to deliver presentations to school children and left them behind so teachers can continue to cultivate appreciation for local wildlife.
The captive population of Micronesian kingfishers is managed under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP) which formed in 1988 and has been managed by Philadelphia Zoo staff ever since. The SSP coordinates with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Micronesian Kingfisher Recovery Committee, working to prepare this species for eventual release in the wild. The SSP and the Philadelphia Zoo have supported
in-situ research and education projects in the effort to save the Guam Micronesian kingfisher from extinction.
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Micronesian kingfisher fledgling hand-reared at the Philadelphia Zoo |
Because it was not possible to study the Guam Micronesian kingfisher in the wild, studies of the closely related Pohnpei Micronesian kingfisher, (Todiramphus reichenbachii), have been used to interpret and improve captive breeding behavior. This research has led to improvements in our captive husbandry and increases in the population numbers in captivity.
As of January 2013, there are over 150 Micronesian kingfishers in captivity in mainland US zoos and in the facility on Guam. Micronesian kingfishers at the Philadelphia Zoo are housed in the
McNeil Avian Center in the Pacific Island's Guam exhibit.