Repopulating the endangered sihek

Efforts to repopulate the Micronesian kingfisher on Guam are underway. The Department of Agriculture held a conference with visiting field experts.

The sihek last seen in the wild on Guam way back in 1989.

Dr. Axel Moehrenschlager heads the Calgary Zoo's science and conservation branch. He's one of several visiting conservation experts putting heads together with local counterparts to help save the sihek.   

"They've been extinct in the wild for 30 years they almost went to global extinction, but there were some courageous people who took action at the right time to bring the last ones into safe harbor into zoos where they've been bred where numbers are increasing," he said.

Zoos worldwide, including the Cincinnati Zoo and Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago have helped sihek numbers increase. Of the 140 siheks left in existence, a paltry 10 kingfishers live on at Agriculture's breeding site.

The conference focused on how to breed sihek populations in the wild - similar to successful efforts to breed the Ko'ko' bird on Cocos Island in Malesso.

"We're actually putting all options on the table," Moehrenschlager said. "In fact, the very first step is to say what is it that we really want is it all just about that we want the species to do well? Or is it that we want this for the ecosystem? Is it something that we want for the cultural connections? We take all of those things into account and say alright what are the different options that we have in terms of place in terms of technique in terms of the kind of engagement with people that we would have to bring success about in whatever way we care for the most."

Up in the air right now - how to bring bred in captivity siheks to Guam since an agreement to fly the birds in on a local airline have fell through. Also at issue, where to put the siheks - Guam and Kosrae have been discussed as options. The decision makers are also considering factors like the brown tree snake and human impacts to environments - keeping in mind a controlled environment is hard to come by in the wild.

"When we weigh the different options we need to take all those things into account - how can we basically maximize conditions that are positive and how can we minimize those that are negative," he said. "And how can we be smart over time? How can we try something in a certain place, learn from it, adjust and then be courageous and take further actions."