Micronesian (or Guam) Kingfisher - Description

The Micronesian or Guam Kingfisher, scientific name Todiramphus cinnamominus is a species of a kingfisher from the Pacific Islands of Guam, Pohnpei, and Palau.

The Micronesian or Guam Kingfisher facts

One of its subspecies, the Micronesian or Guam Kingfisher, is restricted to a captive breeding program following its extinction within the wild as a result of launched brown tree snake.

Habitat and Natural History

The Micronesian or Guam Kingfisher considerably secretive. They’re identified to inhabit limestone and ravine forests, coconut groves, and strand vegetation. Pairs excavate a cavity for a nest in soft-wooded timber and in above floor termite nests.

The Micronesian or Guam Kingfisher Nesting happens between December and July. Two eggs are laid. Each dad and mom have a tendency the eggs and younger birds.

The Micronesian or Guam Kingfisher feeds completely on the animal matter together with crabs, lizards, and enormous bugs. Pairs or generally household teams defend a territory chasing off different kingfishers.

The Micronesian or Guam Kingfisher Description

They’re a medium-sized kingfisher, twenty-two to twenty-four centimeters (nine inches) with a giant head and massive bill.

Men and women Micronesian or Guam Kingfisher have totally different colorations. Males are iridescent blue above the physique and rusty cinnamon beneath. Females are comparable with white beneath.

The mysterious extinct Ryūkyū kingfisher, identified from a single specimen, is usually positioned as a subspecies.

Amongst-island variations in morphological, behavioral, and ecological traits have been decided adequate that Micronesian kingfisher populations, of which the Guam kingfisher was thought of a subspecies, ought to be broken up into separate species.

This can be a brilliantly colored, medium-sized kingfisher, 20–24 cm in size. They’ve iridescent blue backs and rusty-cinnamon heads.

Grownup male The Micronesian or Guam Kingfisher has cinnamon underparts whereas females and juveniles are white beneath.

They’ve giant laterally-flattened payments and darkish legs. The calls of Micronesian kingfishers are usually raspy chattering.

Range

There are three distinct subspecies of The Micronesian or Guam Kingfisher that are discovered on Palau, Pohnpei, and Guam. Halcyon cinnamomina cinnamomina is the Guam endemic subspecies.

Habits

Guam kingfishers had been terrestrial forest generalists that tended to be considerably secretive. The birds nested in cavities excavated from soft-wooded timber and arboreal termitaria, on Guam.

Micronesian kingfishers defended everlasting territories as breeding pairs and household teams.

Each sex takes care of younger, and a few offspring stay with dad and mom for prolonged durations. Analysis means that the thermal atmosphere has the potential to affect reproduction.

Present Standing

The Micronesian or Guam Kingfisher has been extirpated from Guam and was finally seen within the wild in 1989. It’s listed as endangered by the USA Fish and Wildlife Service and the Authorities of Guam. A captive breeding program was begun in 1983.

Presently, it’s held in captive breeding applications on Guam and zoos on the U.S. mainland and reached its purpose of 100 sihek in November 2008, bringing the chook a step nearer to re-establishment of wild inhabitants.

The primary captive-reared sihek had been returned to Guam in 2003, with extra birds returned in 2004 and in 2008, bringing the captive inhabitants on Guam to 10.

It was expanded to incorporate seventeen captive propagation amenities on the U.S. mainland and Guam.

Threats

The primary threats of The Micronesian or Guam Kingfisher are habitat destruction and predation by the launched brown tree snake.

Conservation

The Guam kingfisher inhabitants were extirpated from their native habitat after the introduction of brown tree snakes.

It was finally seen within the wild in 1988, and the birds at the moment are U.S.-listed as endangered.

The Guam kingfisher persists as captive inhabitants of fewer than 200 people (as of 2017) in US mainland and Guam breeding amenities.

Nonetheless, there are plans to reintroduce the Guam birds to a different appropriate island, and probably additionally again to their native vary on Guam if protected areas could be established and the specter of the tree snakes is eradicated.

Sadly, nevertheless, three many years of analysis and administration have yielded little hope for secure habitats on Guam.

Micronesian (or Guam) Kingfisher – Description | Facts