Guam kingfisher

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Guam kingfisher
Micronesian Kingfisher 1644.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
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.

Contents

Taxonomy and description

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]

Behavior

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]

Conservation status

Predation from the introduced brown tree snake drove the Guam kingfisher to extinction in the wild Brown treesnake upclose (9601697830).jpg
Predation from the introduced brown tree snake drove the Guam kingfisher to extinction in the wild

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]

See also

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References

  1. BirdLife International (2017) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Todiramphus cinnamominus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T22725862A117372355. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22725862A117372355.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. "Species Spotlight: Guam Kingfisher (Sihek) | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  3. 1 2 Zoon, Jennifer. "Scientists Are Using 3-D-Printing Technology to Ready Guam Kingfishers for Reintroduction to the Wild". Smithsonian Magazine. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  4. "IOC World Bird List 12.1". IOC World Bird List Datasets. doi:10.14344/ioc.ml.12.1. S2CID   246050277.
  5. Andersen, Michael J.; Shult, Hannah T.; Cibois, Alice; Thibault, Jean-Claude; Filardi, Christopher E.; Moyle, Robert G. (2015). "Rapid diversification and secondary sympatry in Australo-Pacific kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae: Todiramphus)". Royal Society Open Science. 2 (2): 140375. Bibcode:2015RSOS....240375A. doi:10.1098/rsos.140375. PMC   4448819 . PMID   26064600.
  6. 1 2 3 "ECOS: Species Profile". ecos.fws.gov. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  7. Marshall, Samuel D. (1989). "Nest Sites of the Micronesian Kingfisher on Guam". The Wilson Bulletin. 101 (3): 472–477. ISSN   0043-5643. JSTOR   4162756. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  8. 1 2 Kesler, Dylan C.; Lopes, Iara F.; Haig, Susan M. (March 2006). "Sex determination of Pohnpei Micronesian Kingfishers using morphological and molecular genetic techniques". Journal of Field Ornithology. 77 (2): 229–232. doi:10.1111/j.1557-9263.2006.00045.x. ISSN   0273-8570. S2CID   14034258. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  9. "Guam kingfisher (sihek)". Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Archived from the original on 2 May 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  10. Savidge, Julie A. (1987). "Extinction of an Island Forest Avifauna by an Introduced Snake" . Ecology. 68 (3): 660–668. Bibcode:1987Ecol...68..660S. doi:10.2307/1938471. ISSN   0012-9658. JSTOR   1938471. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  11. Bartos, Madeline (30 August 2024). "Birds from National Aviary arrive on Pacific Ocean island to help restore extinct in the wild species - CBS Pittsburgh". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  12. "Extinct Guam Kingfisher Readying For Release On Remote Pacific Island". Forbes. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  13. "Postal Service Spotlights Endangered Species". United States Postal Service. 19 April 2023. Archived from the original on 11 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  14. "Guam Kingfishers". National Aviary. Retrieved 30 August 2024.