The Guam Department of Agriculture announced a milestone in native wildlife recovery Friday — the first successful artificial incubation hatch of an endangered Guam sihek, or Micronesian kingfisher, just five days after Typhoon Sinlaku struck the island.
As the storm approached, DAWR staff moved both sihek and ko'ko' populations indoors. A sihek egg already 10 days into parental incubation was transferred to an incubator while the parents were housed separately. The egg hatched successfully despite the disruption.
"While we always prefer that our avian parents hatch their own young, the storm required us to intervene," said DAWR captive breeding biologist Suzanne Medina. "This successful hatch marks a major first for our department while offering hope as we work to recover our native species."
The chick, now 32 days old, is thriving at 55 grams. DNA testing confirmed the chick is female, bringing the department's captive sihek population to five males and two females — improving prospects for future population growth.
The hatch carries added significance given that United Airlines' discontinuation of live animal shipping cut off DOAG's ability to exchange sihek with mainland partner zoos, making local breeding capacity critical.
"The sihek is part of who we are as CHamoru people, and every hatch brings us closer to a future where this bird once again belongs to our island," said Agriculture Director Chelsa Muña.
A ko'ko' chick separated from its parents during the storm also required staff intervention after it stopped eating for three days post-typhoon. Both chicks are currently doing well.
