Home / Environment / Hope Hatches: Rare Kingfisher Chick Born
Hope Hatches: Rare Kingfisher Chick Born
25 May
Summary
- Two sihek chicks, a male and female, were born recently.
- The sihek, or Guam kingfisher, is extinct in the wild.
- The species has a total world population of just 125.
A beacon of hope has emerged for a species critically endangered, as two sihek chicks recently hatched at the Smithsonian National Zoo's campus in Front Royal, Virginia. This male and female chick, born in mid-April, represent a significant addition to the fragile global sihek population, which now numbers only 125 individuals.
The sihek, also known as the Guam kingfisher, was officially classified as extinct in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in the 1980s. The primary culprit for its demise in its native Guam was the invasive brown tree snake.
These newly hatched chicks are particularly valuable because their parents, Antonio and Poki, are first-time breeders, and their genetic lineage is not yet well-represented within the existing captive population. This highlights the importance of the Smithsonian's involvement in the Sihek Recovery Program, a global initiative dedicated to the species' recovery.
