Treehugger Tuesday

From Mother Nature Network:

Extinct-in-the-wild bird hatches at Smithsonian
Guam kingfisher chick is one of the rarest birds in the world.
Mary Jo DiLonardo
June 1, 2018, 2:53 p.m.

The Guam kingfishers looks more stately with its full plumage as an adult. (Photo: Michael Fitzsimmons/Shutterstock)

The Guam kingfisher is an interesting bird. It's known for a distinct, loud call and an aggressive nature when defending its nesting territory. The bird makes its nest by jabbing over and over at a tree with its beak while flying.

Once found only on the island of Guam, the brightly feathered bird is now extinct in the wild and is one of the most endangered bird species on the planet.

But a tiny Guam kingfisher chick is happily eating chopped mice and crickets, mealworms and anoles after hatching May 17 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia. The female is the first to have hatched in four years at the facility. According to the Smithsonian, there are only about 140 Guam kingfishers in the world, and all of them live in captivity.

Read the entire story here.