Head to head
Tuamotu Kingfisher vs Guam Kingfisher
The Tuamotu kingfisher and Guam kingfisher both represent the most extreme end of kingfisher conservation, though one still exists in the wild while the other does not.
| Tuamotu Kingfisher | Guam Kingfisher | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Todiramphus gambieri | Todiramphus cinnamominus |
| Wild status | Still present in the wild | Extinct in the wild |
| Main threat | Introduced rats, habitat loss | Invasive brown tree snakes |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered | Extinct in the Wild |
| Population trend | Decreasing | Unknown |
| Number of wild locations | One atoll | Zero |
| Native range | Tuamotu Archipelago | Guam |
| Habitat | Forest, coastal | Forest |
Tuamotu Kingfisher vs Guam Kingfisher: common questions
Is the Tuamotu kingfisher as endangered as the extinct-in-the-wild Guam kingfisher?
The Tuamotu kingfisher is extremely endangered and considered one of the rarest birds in the world, but it still survives in the wild on a single atoll, unlike the Guam kingfisher, which has already been declared extinct in the wild since the 1980s.
What threatens the Tuamotu kingfisher compared to the Guam kingfisher?
The Tuamotu kingfisher is threatened by introduced rats and habitat loss, while the Guam kingfisher was wiped out specifically by invasive brown tree snakes, a different introduced predator responsible for devastating Guam's native forest birds.
Could the Tuamotu kingfisher end up like the Guam kingfisher?
That is the core conservation concern, since without continued protection from introduced predators, a single-island species like the Tuamotu kingfisher risks following the same path to extinction in the wild that the Guam kingfisher has already experienced.