Guam Kingfisher Lays Eggs Outdoors for First Time in Nearly 40 Years

In a remarkable conservation milestone reported by Positive News, a kingfisher native to Guam laid eggs outdoors for the first time in nearly 40 years. The Guam kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus) was driven to extinction in the wild in the 1980s when the invasive brown tree snake decimated bird populations across the Pacific island.

Since then, the species has survived only in captive breeding programmes at zoos around the world. But in May 2025, a breeding pair on a predator-free island produced eggs in a natural outdoor setting — a breakthrough that conservationists had been working toward for decades.

“The Guam kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus) was driven to extinction in the wild in the 1980s when the invasive brown tree snake decimated bird populations across the Pacific island.”

The achievement represents a critical step in the long journey toward reintroducing the species to the wild. "This is what decades of patient, dedicated conservation work looks like," said one of the programme coordinators. "Every egg laid outdoors brings us closer to a self-sustaining wild population."