Newly hatched sihek offers hope for quick recovery of Guam's endanged bird

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

A Guam kingfisher egg recently hatched through artificial incubation at a local facility, holding promise for accelerated recovery of the island’s endangered bird, locally known as sihek, which was declared extinct in the wild in 1988.

The Department of Agriculture Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources said the sihek egg hatched five days after the passing of Typhoon Sinlaku.

This marks the first time in department history that a sihek egg hatched through artificial incubation, officials said.

"While we always prefer that our avian parents hatch their own young, the storm required us to intervene," said Suzanne Medina, captive breeding biologist at DAWR. "This successful hatch marks a major first for our 

department while offering hope as we work to recover our native species.”

Before the onset of Sinlaku, the department  moved both sihek and ko'ko' populations indoors. Among those secured was a sihek egg already 10 days into parental incubation. Given the severity of conditions, the egg was transferred to an incubator while the parents were housed separately for the duration of the storm. 

The chick, now 32 days old, is thriving and weighed 55g this morning. DNA sexing performed Friday using the eggshell confirmed the chick is female. This brings the department's captive sihek population to five males and two females, improving prospects for future population growth. 

"This hatch is a reflection of years of training and preparation by our team. When the storm hit, our staff knew exactly what to do,” said Jay Gutierrez, DAWR chief. “We are committed to recovering our native species using the expertise we have built right here on island." 

The department said it received support from G3 Conservation Corps volunteers following the storm. G3 members assisted with cleaning and repairing sihek enclosures and were present when staff released the new female into her enclosure to join her male partner.

"The hatch also reflects the department's capacity to operate independently. Following the discontinuation of live animal shipping by United Airlines, DOAG lost the ability to exchange sihek with mainland partner zoos," the department said. "This hatch demonstrates the Department's ability to advance recovery

efforts using local resources and expertise."

Chelsa Muña, director of the Guam Department of Agriculture, welcomed the second female sihek that holds a promise for the future of the endangered speciers.

"The sihek is part of who we are as CHamoru people, and every hatch brings us closer to a future where this bird once again belongs to our island," she said.