The Sihek (Guam Kingfisher) Finds Hope at Palmyra Atoll

On August 28th, 2024, nine endangered Guam kingfishers arrived at Palmyra Atoll in a monumental new chapter for this magnificent bird. Known as sihek by the indigenous CHamoru* people, these colorful birds are found only in Guam, where they have deep cultural and spiritual significance. But in the 1940s the arrival of an invasive species—the brown tree snake—led to the sihek becoming extinct in the wild, with the last wild sighting in 1988.

The loss of wild sihek in Guam is a tragedy. While the road to reintroducing them to their native forests is long, conservationists around the globe are working together to achieve this goal. Since the 1980s, the island bird has survived in conservation zoos and other wildlife facilities. Today, around 130 adult sihek are cared for at 25 zoos and institutions and a Guam Department of Agriculture facility. Now these birds have a chance to return to the wild at Palmyra Atoll.

*The CHamoru name is spelled with a capitalized H. Guam is spelled Guåhan in CHamoru. 

Palmyra Atoll: A Global Haven 

Sihek chicks are being taken to Palmyra Atoll because it is one of the most healthy land and ocean ecosystems on the planet, thanks to decades of protection and restoration work by TNC and partners. Located 1,000 miles south of Hawai‘i, the atoll is the only fully protected habitat for birds in the equatorial Pacific and comprises a spectacular marine wilderness. TNC purchased Palmyra Atoll in 2000 to preserve it, and turned over the majority of the property to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. As part of our Island Resilience Strategy, TNC maintains a globally significant preserve and research station at Palmyra.

Our work to remove invasive species like rats and restore native tropical forest has created a rare and wonderful opportunity at Palmyra: the atoll is free from invasive predators, incredibly wild and carefully monitored. It offers high-quality forest habitat suitable for sihek that is similar to their native forests. And, extensive research shows that introducing the sihek will have minimal effects on native wildlife at Palmyra. All this makes Palmyra one of the only places in the world where conditions are suitable for the sihek to re-enter the wild.

Adapting to a New Home

Now that they have arrived at Palmyra, the four female and five male sihek will adjust to their new forest home in aviaries built at TNC’s research station. TNC scientists will carefully monitor the birds until they have grown strong and large enough to be released, likely within a month of their arrival. The birds will need to acclimate in their new environment and learn to forage for local prey, including insects and geckos they have not previously encountered. Once released, the birds will be tracked, observed and monitored. 

TNC scientists will be stationed on the remote atoll for the next five years to care for and monitor the birds, while also collecting rare insights on how the species behaves in the wild. Each year, new birds will be released until 10 breeding pairs have successfully established in the wild. This number will give the population a strong foundation with room to grow. 

Hopefully, this rewilding of sihek at Palmyra will be another successful step on the bird’s journey back to Guam.