Extinct-in-the-wild Guam kingfisher hatches at National Aviary

News
Extinct-in-the-wild Guam kingfisher hatches at National Aviary

Extinct-in-the-wild Guam kingfisher hatches at National Aviary

A bird that’s extinct in the wild recently hatched at the National Aviary.

The aviary announced this week that its breeding center hatched a Guam kingfisher chick from parents Kel and Yomuk.

Three Guam kingfishers that previously hatched at the National Aviary were recently released onto the predator-free island of Palmyra Atoll, about 1,000 miles south of Honolulu, Hawaii, in the Pacific Ocean.

Guam kingfishers haven’t been seen in the wild since 1988 after invasive brown tree snakes arrived and decimated the population. About 30 birds were captured and taken to U.S. zoos, where their population has grown.

The aviary is working with the global Sihek Recovery Program to establish a wild population of Guam kingfishers with the hope of returning them home once the threat from brown tree snakes is addressed.

The aviary also shared exciting news from the Atoll. Two of the birds that hatched in Pittsburgh, Mames and Långet, laid a second clutch of three eggs, which the aviary says is very rare in human care populations. It’s possible Mames and Långet become the first pair to hatch chicks of their own in the wild.

The aviary says no Guam kingfishers hatched in human care will join those released on Palmyra Atoll this year. Instead, the aviary says it’s working to grow a special population for possible deployment in 2026.

The chick, meanwhile, is being cared for behind the scenes. Parents Kel and Yomuk live in the Canary’s Call habitat.

In The News

See All News

The Invisible Clues Animals Leave Behind Are Helping Save Entire Ecosystems (featuring an interview with Dr. Steve Latta) | A-Z Animals

In this article, we speak with Dr. Steven Latta, Director of Conservation and Field Research at The National Aviary. In his own work, he collects eDNA samples from water, leaf litter, feathers, egg shells, and other substrates to identify species presence.

Why Animals in Cold Climates Are Bigger: The Science Behind Bergmann’s Rule (featuring an interview with Bob Mulvihill) | A-Z Animals

“Large animals can conserve heat more efficiently than smaller animals in cold climates,” explains Bob Mulvihill, Lead Ornithologist for the National Aviary.

Penguins To Hold ‘Penguins Pledge Night’ Presented by U. S. Steel | Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins Pledge will also raise funds and call attention to the National Aviary in Pittsburgh and their conservation leadership with African Penguins.

Record Number of Peregrine Falcons Counted in Allegheny County | National Today

Conservation efforts have helped the raptor species rebound in the region.

Why Are There No Birds in My Birdhouse? I Asked Expert Bob Mulvihill Who Told Me How to Attract Birds to Any Birdhouse | Gardening Know How

To help ensure your birdhouses are as appealing to birds as possible, [we] asked a National Aviary Ornithologist Bob Mulvihill for the most common reasons why houses remain vacant and how to make houses more attractive to garden birds.