Guam Kingfisher
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Subclass
Infraclass
Superorder
Suborder
Family
Subfamily
Genus
SPECIES
Todiramphus cinnamominus
Life Span
15-20 years
Weight
50-76
1.8-2.7
goz
g oz 
Length
20-24
7.9-9.4
cminch
cm inch 

The Guam kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus) is a brilliantly colored, medium-sized kingfisher. It doesn't exist in the wild and now can be found only in captivity.

Appearance

Guam kingfishers have iridescent blue backs and rusty-cinnamon heads. Adult males have cinnamon underparts while females and juveniles are white below. They have large laterally-flattened bills and dark legs.

Distribution

Geography

This species is found in the United States Territory of Guam. It is now extinct in the wild and exists only as a captive population in the US mainland and Guam breeding facilities. Previously these birds were found in almost all habitats on Guam including forests, woodlands along coasts, edges of mangroves, agricultural fields, and gardens.

Climate zones

Habits and Lifestyle

In the wild, Guam kingfishers were terrestrial and somewhat secretive. They defended permanent territories as breeding pairs and family groups. Guam kingfishers can be aggressive and have loud raspy chattering calls which usually were heard at dawn. They hunted by sitting still on tree branches and then swooping down from a perch to catch prey off the ground or off nearby foliage.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Guam kingfishers are carnivores (insectivores). They feed on various insects and small vertebrates like cicadas, grasshoppers, worms, lizards, and hermit crabs.

Mating Habits

MATING BEHAVIOR
REPRODUCTION SEASON
December-July
INCUBATION PERIOD
22 days
BABY NAME
chick
web.animal_clutch_size
1-3 eggs

Guam kingfishers are monogamous and form long-lasting pair bonds. Their breeding season took place between December and July. In the wild, they nested in cavities excavated from soft-wooded trees and arboreal termitaria, and each pair vigorously defended their nesting area. Both, the male and female build the nest excavating cavities into trees and rotting wood with the help of their bills. The female lays 1-3 eggs and both parents incubate them for about 22 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 30 days after hatching. Young Guam kingfishers become reproductively mature when they are about 2 years old.

Population

Population threats

The Guam kingfisher population was extirpated from its native habitat after the introduction of Brown tree snakes. These birds were last seen in the wild in 1986, and they are now U.S. listed as endangered.

Population number

According to the Wikipedia resource as of 2017, there were less than 200 Guam kingfishers within the breeding program. Currently, this species is classified as Extinct in the Wild (EW) on the IUCN Red List.

References

1. Guam kingfisher Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guam_kingfisher
2. Guam kingfisher on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22725862/117372355

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