Oregon Zoo bird could join rare Sihek population in the wild
A rare species of bird currently cared for at the Oregon Zoo could be released into the wild…
A rare species of bird currently cared for at the Oregon Zoo could be released into the wild later this year as part of an effort to rebuild the population.
“Guafi” is among 10 Sihek, also known as Guam kingfishers, that have been selected to undergo about two months of quarantine at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
The Sihek Recovery Program will select up to eight birds for release on Palmyra Atoll, where nine Sihek have lived since 2024, according to the organization.
The Oregon Zoo houses three male Sihek together in its Vollum Aviary. That approach has helped free space at other facilities for breeding pairs, supporting the recovery effort.
What is a Sihek?
Sihek, pronounced “SEE-heck,” is the CHamoru name for the Guam kingfisher. The birds have cinnamon-colored heads and bodies, blue wings and tails, and nest in tree cavities.
Once native to Guam, Sihek disappeared from the wild after brown tree snakes were accidentally introduced to the island in the 1940s.
Biologists brought the remaining birds into human care in the 1980s to establish a conservation breeding program. The last wild sighting on Guam was in 1988.
How many Sihek remain in the world?
Fewer than 150 Sihek remain worldwide, according to the recovery program. Nine were released on Palmyra in 2024, establishing the species’ only wild population. The proposed release would nearly double that group.
Six of the 10 candidates are females. Males outnumber females by about two to one across the remaining population, making the additional females particularly important for establishing breeding pairs.
The birds already on Palmyra have established territories, built nests, and laid eggs. No chicks had hatched as of the recovery program’s September update. Researchers continue to monitor the birds as they work toward a population that can reproduce on its own.
How many total Sihek live at the Oregon Zoo?
The Oregon Zoo has housed three male Sihek together since 2024.
Males typically need separate enclosures because they are territorial, so keeping them together frees space at other zoos for breeding pairs, according to the Oregon Zoo.
Why are the birds being released on Palmyra?
Palmyra provides protected habitat without the invasive predators that threaten Sihek on Guam.
The atoll includes a Nature Conservancy preserve and research station within a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife refuge.
The release effort also gives conservationists a chance to study how the birds adjust to life in the wild. Their long-term goal is to return Sihek to Guam once the brown tree snake threat is controlled.
