Guam Sihek released into aviaries on Palmyra Atoll

A new day for the Guam Sihek as they landed on Cooper Island in Palmyra Atoll after a 14-hour journey from Wichita, Kansas. The nature conservancy, which owns the island, held signs along the runway welcoming the Sihek.

“They must feel at home here if they are already eating the minute they get here. It was a long journey so it is definitely surprising that they ate but they must feel that this is home,” said Erica Royer with the Sihek Recovery Project.

The birds were placed in temporary tents overnight. On Friday morning, history was made.

The Guam Sihek were released, one by one, into aviaries spread across the island before their eventual release into the wild.

“The release isn't happening today, we just put them in their release aviary aviaries, and then we will give them, probably about a week at least, to kind of get settled, get used to the environment, make sure they're eating, and then make sure they're eating live food,” said Royer.

“They need to learn, or at least we need to make sure that they're dispatching their own live prey that's crawling in and out of the aviaries. Once we know that they're doing that, they'll get a quick health exam, and then we'll attach backpack transmitters to them. As soon as they're settled after that, then we can go ahead and open the doors. And that could be different days for different individuals. So we're definitely just taking it at whatever pace the birds tell us they're ready,” she added.

KUAM News had the opportunity to release the last of the nine birds into the aviary.

“I feel very emotional that, you know, these birds are coming to a place that's just like their home. it's very much like Guam here and this is the next step towards coming home to Guam,” said Diane Vice from the Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources.

“It's an emotional moment for me. It's something that's been years in the works. Only possible because, you know, palmyra poses such a low risk to these birds. It's such a well-studied ecosystem. So we are able to bring them here responsibly and ensure their safety. It's a very important step towards seeing them return to Guam,” said Kayla Baker, Senior Bird Conservation Specialist, the Nature Conservancy.

Megan Laut with USFW Ecological Services is the Recovery Program Coordinator and she said, “Yeah, it's just a really happy occasion, even though I'm crying. And yeah, I just have so much hope for these individuals. And then for the species as a whole.”

The birds appear to be ready to take flight.

“They seem to be acclimating really well to their new habitats,” said Dr. Heather Arens from the Sedgwick County Zoo.

A new habitat that they once thrived in, “The Sihek will have so many other bird friends here just to be in the wild like they were born to be,” said Vice.

It is a shared hope by many for the Guam Sihek to one day fly in the wild again on Guam.