Guam kingfisher | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Coraciiformes |
Family: | Alcedinidae |
Subfamily: | Halcyoninae |
Genus: | Todiramphus |
Species: | T. cinnamominus |
Binomial name | |
Todiramphus cinnamominus (Swainson, 1821) | |
The Guam kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus), called sihek in Chamorro [2] , is a species of kingfisher from the occupied United States Territory of Guam. It is restricted to a captive breeding program following its extinction in the wild due primarily to predation by the introduced brown tree snake.
In the indigenous Chamorro language, it is referred to as sihek. [3]
The mysterious extinct Ryūkyū kingfisher, known from a single specimen, is sometimes placed as a subspecies (T. c. miyakoensis; Fry et al. 1992), but was declared invalid by the International Ornithological Congress in 2022, rendering the species monotypic. [4] Among-island differences in morphological, behavioral, and ecological characteristics have been determined sufficient that Micronesian kingfisher populations, of which the Guam kingfisher was considered a subspecies, should be split into separate species. [5]
This is a brilliantly colored, medium-sized kingfisher, 20–24 cm (7.9–9.4 in) in length. They have iridescent blue backs and rusty-cinnamon heads. Adult male Guam kingfishers have cinnamon underparts while females and juveniles are white below. They have large laterally-flattened bills and dark legs. The calls of Micronesian kingfishers are generally raspy chattering. [6]
Guam kingfishers were terrestrial forest generalists that tended to be somewhat secretive. The birds nested in cavities excavated from soft-wooded trees and arboreal termitaria, on Guam. [7] Micronesian kingfishers defended permanent territories as breeding pairs and family groups. [8] Both sexes care for young, and some offspring remain with parents for extended periods. Research suggests that thermal environment has the potential to influence reproduction. [8]
Feeding
In the wild, the Guam kingfisher feeds on grasshoppers, skinks, insects, and small crustaceans. The birds dive and capture their prey on the ground, similar to other species of kingfishers that dive for fish in water. [9]
The Guam kingfisher population was extirpated from its native habitat after the introduction of brown tree snakes. [10] It was last seen in the wild in 1986, and the birds are now U.S. listed as endangered. [6] The Guam kingfisher persists as a captive population of fewer than two hundred individuals (as of 2017) in US mainland and Guam breeding facilities. There are plans to reintroduce the Guam birds to Palmyra Atoll, and potentially also back to their native range on Guam if protected areas can be established and the threat of the brown tree snakes is eliminated or better controlled. [3] [6] However, three decades of research and management have yielded little hope for safe habitats on Guam.[ citation needed ]
As of August 2024, nine Guam kingfishers have been flown to Palmyra Atoll with plans for release to follow a few weeks in a transitional aviary. [11] [12]
In 2023 the Guam kingfisher was featured on a United States Postal Service Forever stamp as part of the Endangered Species set, based on a photograph from Joel Sartore's Photo Ark. The stamp was dedicated at a ceremony at the National Grasslands Visitor Center in Wall, South Dakota. [13]
A mated pair of Guam kingfishers can be viewed by the public at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, one of the participants in the species survival plan. [14]
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The Mariana mallard or Oustalet's duck is an extinct species of duck of the genus Anas that was endemic to the Mariana Islands. Its taxonomic status is debated, and it has variously been treated as a full species, a subspecies of the mallard or of the Pacific black duck, or sometimes as a subspecies of the Indian spot-billed duck.
The Guam rail, known in Chamorro as ko'ko', is a small, terrestrial bird in the Rallidae family. They are endemic of the island of Guam, and are one of the island's few remaining endemic bird species. The species became extinct in the wild in the early 1980s when biologists captured the remaining wild population. They have since been successfully reintroduced to Guam and introduced to the nearby Rota and Cocos islands. In 2019, the species became the second bird after the California condor to be reclassified by the IUCN from extinct in the wild to critically endangered.
The brown tree snake, also known as the brown catsnake, is an arboreal rear-fanged colubrid snake native to eastern and northern coastal Australia, eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and many islands in northwestern Melanesia. The snake is slender, in order to facilitate climbing, and can reach up to 2 meters in length. Its coloration may also vary, some being brown, green, or even red. Brown tree snakes prey on many things, ranging from invertebrates to birds, and even some smaller mammals. It is one of the very few colubrids found in Australia, where elapids are more common. Due to an accidental introduction after the events of World War II, this snake is now infamous for being an invasive species responsible for extirpating the majority of the native bird population in Guam. Currently, efforts are being made to reduce and control the population on Guam and prevent the snake from spreading to other locations.
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The Ryukyu kingfisher is an enigmatic taxon of tree kingfisher. It is extinct and is only known from a single specimen. Its taxonomic status is doubtful; it is most likely a subspecies of the Guam kingfisher, which would make its scientific name Todiramphus cinnamominus miyakoensis. As the specimen is at the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, the question could be resolved using DNA sequence analysis; at any rate, the Guam kingfisher is almost certainly the closest relative of the Ryukyu bird. The IUCN considers this bird a subspecies and has hence struck it from its redlist.
Todiramphus is a genus of kingfishers in the subfamily Halcyoninae that are endemic to the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and many islands in the South Pacific.
The Pacific Islands Conservation Research Association (PICRA) is a U.S. federally recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. PICRA has a mission of advancing knowledge about insular Pacific species, populations, and ecosystems through unbiased scientific investigations. Research focuses on improving knowledge about islands and the conservation issues that insular fauna face. Results from PICRA’s work are intended for use in the development of applied and theoretical solutions to conservation problems.
The Mariana crow is a species of the crow family from the tropical Western Pacific. It is a glossy black bird about 15 inches (38 cm) long and known only from the islands of Guam and Rota.
The collared kingfisher is a medium-sized kingfisher belonging to the subfamily Halcyoninae, the tree kingfishers. It is also known as the white-collared kingfisher, black-masked kingfisher or mangrove kingfisher. It has a wide range extending from the Red Sea across southern Asia to Polynesia. A number of subspecies and subspecies groups have been split from this species including the Pacific kingfisher, the islet kingfisher, the Torresian kingfisher, the Mariana kingfisher, and the Melanesian kingfisher.
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The Niau kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the island of Niau in French Polynesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, plantations and rural gardens. Only 125 individuals remain in the wild. The Niau kingfisher is a multicolored, with bright blue feathers, a dusty orange head, and a bright green back. The entire population of these birds lives in Niau, and without serious intervention, they will likely become extinct.
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The Tahiti monarch, or Tahiti flycatcher, is a rare species of bird in the monarch flycatcher family. It is endemic to Tahiti in French Polynesia. There are between 25 and 100 individuals remaining with an increasing population trend. Adults boast a striking black plumage with pale blue pills and feet. Recognized for its melodious flute-like song and distinctive "tick-tick-tick" call, it thrives in dense forest, primarily inhabiting canopy and understory amidst native mara trees. Despite facing threats from introduces predators such as ship rats and invasive bird species, conservation efforts have been implemented to safeguard its population.
Robert E. Beck Jr. was a zoologist and conservationist, who worked to save Guam's indigenous native birds from 1982 to 2003. Beck championed the fight to save Guam's native birds, such as the Mariana crow, rufous fantail, Guam flycatcher, Guam kingfisher and the Guam rail, known locally as ko'ko' in Chamorro, which are under the extreme threat of extinction due to the non-native brown tree snake and habitat loss. The rufous fantail and the Guam flycatcher listed above are now extinct in the wild in their native Guam. However, the captive and wild populations of the Mariana crow, Guam rail and the Micronesian kingfisher have increased, due in large part to conservation efforts by Beck.
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