Guam Flycatcher / Chuguangguang
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Guam Flycatcher / Chuguangguang
Myiagra freycineti
Endemic species -- extinct
Like the ko'ko' (Guam Rail), the chuguangguang (Guam Flycatcher) was endemic to Guam which means it was found only on Guam and nowhere else. An insectivore, the chuguangguang ate only insects, which it caught in the air or snatched off of foliage. It had a wide bill and long whiskers, which helped it capture flying insects.
Chuguangguang were aggressive birds which chased away intruders with a loud scolding call. An adult chuguangguang would often approach a person who imitated its series of whistle-like calls. When angry, the bird would raise a crown of feathers on the top of its head.
Chuguangguang nested in small trees such as tångantångan. They used thin twigs, roots, grass and leaves held together with spider webs to build a small, tidy nest. They laid one or two cream-colored eggs which had a band of brown spots on them. Like most small birds, the female ate the shell once the babies had hatched. Both parents would bring the nestlings juicy insects. The naked young grew feathers and learned to fly in as little as 20 days. The chuguangguang nested year-round and raised as many as three families a year.
Predation by the brown treesnake is responsible for the extinction of the chuguangguang. It was last seen in 1985 in northern Guam.
Guam Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 9/27/2005
