Micronesian Kingfisher & Collared Kingfisher Sihek
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Micronesian Kingfisher & Collared Kingfisher Sihek
Halcyon cinnamomina
Endangered Species. Subspecies endemic to Guam
Extinct in the wild
Male (left) and female.
The Micronesian Kingfisher, or "sihek" as it is called in Chamoru, is a colorful bird that was once very common on Guam. Predation by kulepbla (brown tree snakes) has brought about the extinction of the sihek population in the wild. The last sighting of a wild sihek was reported in 1989. A captive breeding program to save the sihek from extinction began in 1983. As of 1993, there were about 50 sihek in captivity at various zoos throughout the United States.
Kingfishers are often called "woodpeckers." They build their nests by using their bills to hammer a hole in a tree trunk. Both parents raise two babies in their nest hole. The babies are fed juicy prey like lizards, crabs and insects. The parents kill their prey by banging it against a branch. Unlike its name, these kingfishers do not hunt fish. Sihek are brave and will attack larger animals that get too close to their nest. Female sihek have a white breast while males have a tan breast.
Chamoru stories tell of a village woman who was always talking loudly and making trouble. She wore an orange kerchief and a blue dress with a white apron. An angry "taotaomo'na" (spirit of Chamoru ancestors) then turned the woman into the first sihek. Her clothing became the colors of the female sihek. Now, the unhappy bird calls loudly when people are near.
Our subspecies of sihek is found only on Guam and nowhere else. Other subspecies still remain in Palau and Pohnpei. Another species, the Collared Kingfisher (Halcyon chloris), occurs on many of the neighboring Mariana Islands.
Also include the Collared Kingfisher / Sihek (only in N. Marianas)??
Guam Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 9/27/2005
