News and Stories

Two of the six birds released this weekend are from Cincinnati Zoo 

A major milestone in the years-long collaborative effort to re-establish the extinct-in-the-wild sihek (Guam kingfisher) species happened this weekend! Six of the nine birds that were translocated to temporary aviaries in Palmyra Atoll, a TNC preserve and research station located within a USFWS refuge, last month were released over the weekend and are now officially living in the wild! Two of them (Fuetsa and Sindalu) are from Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, and another (Tutuhan) is among the three that will be released soon. This release marks the first time since the 1980s these beautiful birds will reside in the wild

“It’s significant to note that the last passenger pigeon died this month 110 years ago.  Martha lived at the Cincinnati Zoo, which makes it even more exciting for us to be a part of this effort to bring an extinct-in-the-wild bird back to its native habitat,” said Cincinnati Zoo senior aviculturist Aimee Owen. “We hope that all nine birds stay healthy and raise chicks in their new home.” 

A total of nine young birds —four female and five male sihek — were hand-reared over the last several months at the Sedgwick County Zoo for this historic rewilding. AZA partners contributing eggs or young chicks to this effort include the Brookfield Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Disney’s Animals, Science, and Environment), National Aviary, and Sedgwick County Zoo. Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) coordinated egg selection and transfer and managed the care of the birds along with ZSL staff. The sihek made their maiden voyage from Wichita, Kansas to temporary aviaries on The Nature Conservancy preserve and research station at Cooper Island on August 28, 2024. Specialists have been caring for the palm-sized birds, ensuring that the sihek safely settled into their aviaries, acclimatized to their new homes, and received daily feedings.  

At this time, six of the nine sihek were deemed ready for release. The remaining three sihek will be released individually as each bird reaches milestones needed to survive in the wild. This approach provides necessary flexibility, as some birds may require more time to prepare for life in the wild. Sihek Recovery Program partners plan to continue supplementing the population annually, with a target of establishing 10 sihek breeding pairs. 

Great hopes rest on the wings of these sihek. They are the result of years of work by the Sihek Recovery Program*, a global collaborative of conservationists dedicated to reestablishing the sihek in the wild for return to its homeland in Guam. The birds have displayed very promising behavior such as eating right away, instinctually preening when they experienced their first rainfall and successfully hunting the spiders, geckos and crabs they will rely on for food. 

Prior to release from the aviaries, each sihek was given a health exam. A tiny radio tracker was fitted to each bird before release so the project team can monitor their movements as they settle into new habitat at locations across the atoll. Sihek are a territorial species, and the team expects the birds will establish home ranges quickly, which will also help with locating and monitoring them with a special focus on habitat use, foraging, and eventual breeding. Supplemental food will also be available to help them transition to the wild.  

“Palmyra Atoll is an ideal location for rewilding these magnificent birds on their journey back to Guam,” says Alex Wegmann, TNC’s Lead Scientist for Island Resilience. “It is one of the healthiest land and ocean ecosystems on the planet, is free of invasive predators like rats, is carefully studied and monitored, and is fully protected as a national wildlife refuge and TNC preserve. Extensive research shows Palmyra’s forests are ideal for the sihek and that introducing it will have minimal effects on native wildlife there.”  

First listed under the Guam Endangered Species Act in 1982, the sihek was subsequently added to the U.S. Endangered Species List in 1984.  Endemic to the forests of Guam and culturally important to the CHamoru* people, the sihek have been extinct in the wild since 1988 due to predation by the invasive, brown treesnake. The Guam DOAG and AZA rescued 29 sihek and established a captive-care program, which currently is composed of 127 adult sihek across 25 institutions, nationwide. 

Scott Newland, President & CEO of Sedgwick County Zoo, added, “AZA partners have proudly maintained the Sihek population in human care since 1988. Without the dedication of our aviculturists and the support of zoos, this release would not have been possible. Our work with this species has provided us with valuable knowledge, allowing us to tailor this release to give the birds the best chance for success. For AZA, this release represents the culmination of nearly 40 years of collaboration, research, and dedication aimed at seeing the Sihek flying back on Guam one day.” 

EDITORS’ NOTES  

*Sihek Recovery Program:   

The Sihek Recovery Program is a global collaborative of conservationists dedicated to recovering one of Guam’s most iconic native species, the sihek (Guam kingfisher, Todiramphus cinnamominus). The Sihek Recovery Program is made up of partners from the following organizations: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), Guam DAWR, ZSL, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Sedgwick County Zoo, AZA, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Until threats on Guam are mitigated, the Sihek Recovery Program is working to identify suitable release locations elsewhere to help grow the global sihek population, safeguard the species against extinction, and refine release methods to support the ultimate goal of returning sihek home to Guam.  

The CHamoru people refer to the Guam kingfisher as sihek.   

*The CHamoru name is spelt with a capitalised H.