Pittsburgh’s National Aviary is advancing efforts to restore the Guam kingfisher, a bird species that has been extinct in the wild for nearly four decades. The facility recently hatched two chicks—a male born on April 19 and a female on May 12—marking a significant step in the ongoing conservation program aimed at reintroducing the species to its natural habitat.

The Guam kingfisher, known locally as sihek, disappeared from the wild primarily due to predation by the invasive brown tree snake on Guam. In the late 1980s, biologists managed to rescue 29 individuals, preventing the species’ complete extinction. Since then, breeding programs like those at the National Aviary have been instrumental in supporting recovery initiatives.

The National Aviary’s efforts are part of the broader Species Survival Plan Program coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, working in collaboration with multiple organizations including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Guam Department of Agriculture’s Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources, Zoological Society of London, The Nature Conservancy, Sedgwick County Zoo, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

After hatching, the chicks will be transferred to the Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas, where they will be reared to adulthood. The mature birds are then released on Palmyra Atoll, located approximately 1,000 miles south of Honolulu. Palmyra is considered an ideal release site due to the absence of brown tree snakes, providing a safer environment for the birds to thrive. Nine Guam kingfishers have been released on Palmyra so far, including three hatched and hand-reared at the National Aviary. These releases, which began in September 2024, represent the first time the species has lived in the wild since 1988.

Researchers have observed promising behavior since the reintroduction. In February 2025, pairs of kingfishers released on Palmyra exhibited nesting and bonding behaviors. Although the eggs laid have thus far been infertile, conservationists view these signs as positive indicators for the species’ potential to reproduce naturally in the future.

The National Aviary currently houses the two baby Guam kingfishers in its behind-the-scenes Breeding Center. While these chicks are not on public display, visitors can observe a wide variety of other bird species throughout the facility. General admission tickets start at $20.95 for adults, with reduced rates available for children and seniors. The ongoing restoration work offers hope for one of Guam’s most iconic birds to return from the brink of extinction.