For the first time in over 30 years, a critically endangered Sihek, or Guam Kingfisher, has laid eggs in the wild. Conservationists confirmed the historic sighting on March 31st at Palmyra Atoll, where nine Sihek currently live in the wild, after being released from captivity last year.
The Sihek, once extinct in the wild, has long symbolized the fragile state of Guam’s native wildlife, especially in the face of invasive species. But this recent development offers hope for the island’s native species.
“These birds were raised in captivity until last year,” said Martin Kastner, a bird conservation specialist with The Nature Conservancy, the Zoological Society of London, and the Sihek Recovery Project. “Now they’re foraging, nesting, and even laying eggs on their own. It’s an incredible step forward.”
Kastner was on-site when they spotted the eggs inside a nest about 12 feet off the ground. “There’s nothing more hopeful,” he said. “You see bird eggs in the wild and it gives us hope for the species.”
The team will continue monitoring nests in hopes that chicks will successfully hatch and survive in the wild. This is something not seen since the birds disappeared from their native habitat in the 1980s.
The project’s long-term goal is to establish up to 30 breeding pairs on Palmyra. If successful, those birds will reintroduce the species to Guam.
“Each egg is a sign that bringing the Sihek home again might really be possible,” Kastner said.
