Here’s some wonderful news with regards to wildlife conservation efforts.
A bird that has been considered extinct for decades has gained a fresh hatchling.
The National Aviary — which is based out of Pittsburgh, Pa. — sent out a press release announcing how the Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas welcomed a female sihek chick back in April as part of a collaborative project looking to restore the bird’s wild population called the Sihek Recovery Project.
Also known as the Guam kingfisher, the release explains how the bird species “once flourished” in Guam. Unfortunately, the “accidental introduction of the brown tree snake to the island in the 1940s” led to the slow extinction of the sihek along with other native species. In fact, the last time the sihek was spotted in the wild was 1988.
The bird’s population was greatly affected by the “accidental introduction” of a snake to its natural habitat. (National Aviary)
“There are currently only 141 sihek left in the world, all under human care,” reads the release. “Now the Sihek Recovery Program is working to establish a temporary wild population on the island of Palmyra Atoll — where there are no invasive snakes or other predators such as rates — before their eventual return to Guam.
“Palmyra Atoll, a Nature Conservancy Preserve and research station located within a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge, is one of only a few places in the world that is viable for wildlife introductions because it is protected and predator-free.”
“We’re all thrilled that this year’s first chick has hatched and is doing so well,” stated Yolonda Topasna of the Guam Department of Agriculture’s Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources.
“These beautiful birds haven’t sung in the forests of Guam for over 30 years, but this exciting moment brings us one step closer to the release of Guam sihek onto Palmyra Atoll — a pivotal step towards the eventual reintroduction of this stunning creature to Islan Guahan.”