The Guam Kingfisher is one of the world's most rare bird species. Native to the island of Guam, the bird became extinct in the wild in 1986. The population was decimated by a non-native snake, the Brown Tree Snake. The introduction of this Asian snake to Guam was devastating to other native wildlife on the island besides the kingfisher.
With just 29 individual Guam Kingfishers left on the island in 1986, all of the birds were captured for captive breeding. By 2013 the total population was 124 birds. Today conservationists are hoping to reintroduce the Guam Kingfisher into the wild on a snake-free island near Guam.
Guam Kingfishers are small kingfishers with a pretty plumage including a rufous head with black eyestripe, and blue-green wings, back, and rump. Males have rufous underparts; females, like our Birdorable cartoon bird, have white bellies.
Today a bird that cannot be seen in the wild joins Birdorable. While there is hard work and much hope that the Guam Kingfisher can be reintroduced into the wild, the last free flying individuals were seen in the mid-1980s. Read more »
