Guam Kingfisher

Description:

What a sad tale for these guys. This is a Guam kingfisher. They're extinct in the wild, following the 1980s introduction of the brown tree snake into Guam. Only 200 of them exist in zoos and breeding programs in the US and Guam. After three decades we've not had any luck in reintroducing this species to Guam nor to suitable habitats. The future for this species is very dire, but it makes me happy that I at least saw one before it was too late.So I could appreciate its beautiful orange and green plummage and striking black eye markings. To quote someone much smarter than I "I thing isn't beautiful because it lasts". Here's hoping that the future conservation of this species is a success.

Habitat:

Extinct in the Wild. The Guam kingfisher was formerly native to the forests of Guam. Now only exists in captivity in critically small numbers.