Birds
Marquesan Kingfisher
Todiramphus godeffroyi · also called Marquesas kingfisher
Clinging to survival on just a couple of remote French Polynesian islands, a Marquesan kingfisher faces a threat familiar to many isolated island birds, introduced rats preying on eggs and chicks within a range already small enough to leave no room for error.
Overview
The Marquesan kingfisher, Todiramphus godeffroyi, is a Critically Endangered kingfisher restricted to forest and coastal habitat on a small number of islands within the Marquesas, French Polynesia. Its extremely limited range, extremely small total population, and vulnerability to introduced rat predation make it one of the most conservation-critical kingfishers found anywhere in the Pacific.
A population with no room for error
Restricted to just a couple of small islands, the Marquesan kingfisher’s entire future rests on the continued survival of an already tiny population, leaving it acutely vulnerable to any single storm, disease outbreak, or further predator introduction.
Status
Critically Endangered, with an extremely small and declining population threatened primarily by introduced rats preying on eggs and chicks.
Marquesan Kingfisher: common questions
Where is the Marquesan kingfisher found?
This species is restricted to just a couple of islands within the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia, found nowhere else on Earth, making it one of the most geographically limited kingfishers in the world.
Why is the Marquesan kingfisher endangered?
This species is threatened primarily by introduced rats, which prey on eggs and chicks within its already extremely limited range, a pressure that has driven the population to a critically low level.
How small is the Marquesan kingfisher's population?
This species has an extremely small total population, a direct consequence of its restriction to just a couple of small islands, leaving it highly vulnerable to any single catastrophic event.
Is the Marquesan kingfisher related to other Pacific island kingfishers?
Yes, this species belongs to a group of similarly range-restricted Pacific island kingfishers facing comparable threats from introduced predators, including the equally endangered Tuamotu kingfisher and the extinct-in-the-wild Guam kingfisher.