IUCN: Extinct in the Wild
In 2024, a small population of nine Guam Kingfishers were released onto the uninhabited, fully-protected, Brown Tree Snake-free island of Palmyra Atoll – marking the first wild population of these cinnamon-hued birds in nearly 40 years. Three of the nine birds were hatched in the National Aviary’s Breeding Center!
The Guam Kingfisher is small by kingfisher standards. Males average only about 58g (two ounces) and 24 cm (9 inches) long, making them less than half the size of North America’s Belted Kingfisher. Both male and female Guam Kingfishers have an iridescent blue-green back, a disproportionately very large, slightly crested, rust-colored head, and a long, stout, pointed bill. Males have cinnamon-colored underparts, while the underparts of females and juveniles are whitish.
After World War II, the accidental introduction of brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis) to Guam resulted in the extinction of nearly all of the island’s dozen species of native land bird by the late 1970’s. Biologists realized that drastic action was needed if there was going to be any hope of saving what was left of Guam’s native birds. In 1984, when the Guam Kingfisher received “Endangered” status from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, fewer than 50 were estimated to remain in the wild. Twenty-one of these were captured and transported to U.S. zoos; eight more birds were imported in 1986. The last sighting of a Guam Kingfisher in the wild was in 1988.
Encouragingly, the population of Guam Rails in human care has continued to grow. The world’s population of Guam Kingfishers, and the future of the species is in the hands of zoological institutions, including the National Aviary, which is proud to participate in and contribute to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) for the Guam Kingfisher.
Learn more about the National Aviary's participation in saving Guam Kingfishers from extinction.
Read MoreHabitat
Prior to the 1980s, this species was only found on the island of Guam, in a variety of habitats including forests and coastal lowlands.
Diet
Feeds primarily on insects, small lizards, and small crustaceans.
Status
Extinct in the Wild
Breeding
Similar to woodpeckers, Guam Kingfishers are cavity nesters. The male and female work together to dig a hole into a decaying tree. Once the nest is complete, the female lays two eggs, sometimes three on rare occasions.
