Zookeepers rear bird that was extinct in the wild

British zookeepers have helped to raise chicks for release into nature after the species went extinct in the wild in the 1980s.

Six sihek, or Guam kingfishers, were released on Cooper Island in the Pacific Ocean after keepers from ZSL Whipsnade, external and London zoos assisted in hand-rearing them.

Whipsnade Zoo said although it was not home to the sihek, its team brought expertise to the conservation partnership.

Its bird keeper Claire McSweeney said it had been "incredible" to be part of the "mission".

The sihek are native to the forests of Guam, a Pacific island, and are culturally important to the CHamoru people.

First listed as an endangered species in 1982, they have been extinct in the wild since 1988 due to an invasive predator, the brown tree snake.

The birds’ successful release is the result of years of work by the Sihek Recovery Program, a global collaborative of conservationists.

Four female and five male sihek were hand-reared at Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas, USA, external, before being transported to temporary aviaries at a protected nature reserve on Cooper Island, Palmyra Atoll.

Six of the nine were deemed ready for release and the remaining three will follow when they are considered ready to survive in the wild.

Their fledging journeys will be monitored with the ultimate aim of returning them to their native home on Guam.

Ms McSweeney, who spent time rearing the chicks at Sedgewick County Zoo, said: "It’s wonderful knowing that the birds are finally flying in Palmyra Atoll and making history as the first sihek in the wild in almost 40 years.

"Raising these birds from tiny helpless chicks to fully fledged adults, with their beautiful blue and orange plumage, is a long process – and it’s been incredible to be a part of the mission to not only bring sihek back to the wild, but also part of the mission to one day see them back on their home in Guam."

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