Head to head
Guam Kingfisher vs Guam Rail
The Guam kingfisher and Guam rail share almost the same tragic origin story, both driven to extinction in the wild by the same invasive predator, but their recovery journeys have diverged sharply since.
| Guam Kingfisher | Guam Rail | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Todiramphus cinnamominus | Hypotaenidia owstoni |
| Cause of wild extinction | Invasive brown tree snakes | Invasive brown tree snakes |
| Current wild status | Extinct in the wild | Reintroduced, recovering |
| Conservation status | Extinct in the Wild | Critically Endangered |
| Population trend | Unknown | Increasing |
| Flight capability | Capable of flight | Flightless |
| Local name | Sihek | Ko'ko' |
| Habitat | Forest | Forest |
Guam Kingfisher vs Guam Rail: common questions
Why were the Guam kingfisher and Guam rail both driven to extinction in the wild?
Both species were wiped out from their native Guam habitat by invasive brown tree snakes, accidentally introduced to the island, which devastated the island's native forest bird population during the same general period.
Has either species been successfully reintroduced to the wild?
The Guam rail has been successfully reintroduced to predator-managed sites and now shows a rare increasing trend, while the Guam kingfisher remains extinct in the wild, with reintroduction still a future conservation goal.
What are the Guam kingfisher and Guam rail called locally?
The Guam kingfisher is known locally as the sihek, while the Guam rail is known as the ko'ko', both names still used by conservationists and residents of Guam today.