THE SIHEK RECOVERY PROGRAM IS A GLOBAL COLLABORATIVE OF CONSERVATIONISTS DEDICATED TO RECOVERING ONE OF GUAMS MOST ICONIC NATIVE SPECIES. THE SIHEK (GUAM KINGFISHER, TODIRAMPHUS CINNAMOMINUS) WAS DRIVEN TO EXTINCTION IN THE WILD BY 1988 DUE TO PREDATION BY INVASIVE BROWN TREESNAKES (BOIGA IRREGULARIS). TWENTY-NINE OF THE LAST WILD SIHEK WERE BROUGHT INTO ZOOS TO START A CONSERVATION BREEDING PROGRAM. TODAY, THIS POPULATION INCLUDES 137 ADULT SIHEK IN 25 FACILITIES AROUND THE US MAINLAND AND ONE FACILITY ON GUAM. HOWEVER, THE SPECIES IS ONCE AGAIN AT RISK DUE TO THE EFFECTS OF SMALL POPULATION SIZE AND INBREEDING. RECENT ANALYSES SUGGEST IT WILL DECLINE TO EXTINCTION UNLESS THE GLOBAL POPULATION CAN BE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED, BUT ZOOS ARE NEARING CAPACITY, AND IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO RELEASE SIHEK TO GUAM UNTIL SNAKES ARE CONTROLLED. OUR PROJECT AIMS TO AVERT THE PREDICTED DECLINE TO EXTINCTION BY (1) EXPANDING THE CONSERVATION BREEDING PROGRAM ON GUAM AND (2) ESTABLISHING THE FIRST WILD SIHEK POPULATION IN 35 YEARS BY INTRODUCING THE SPECIES TO PALMYRA ATOLL. WE WILL RAISE SIHEK AT A QUARANTINED REARING FACILITY IN HAWAII AND TRANSPORT A SUBSET OF BIRDS TO A FACILITY AT GUAM DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DIVISION OF AQUATIC WILDLIFE RESOURCES. THE MAJORITY OF SIHEK RAISED IN HAWAII (UP TO 27 INDIVIDUALS OVER A THREE-YEAR PERIOD) WILL BE RELEASED TO PALMYRA ATOLL. WE WILL MONITOR AND PROVIDE SUPPORTIVE MANAGEMENT TO THE POPULATION FOR FIVE YEARS AND USE THE DATA WE COLLECT TO CONTINUOUSLY EVALUATE AND ADJUST OUR MANAGEMENT EFFORTS TO MAXIMIZE THE POPULATIONS CHANCE OF SUCCESS. COMBINED, OUR EFFORTS ON GUAM AND PALMYRA HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO EXPAND THE GLOBAL SIHEK POPULATION BY APPROXIMATELY 53 . AT THE SAME TIME, ESTABLISHING A POPULATION ON PALMYRA ATOLL WILL ENABLE US TO PRODUCE SIHEK THAT ARE ADAPTED TO LIFE IN THE WILD AND DEVELOP EFFECTIVE RELEASE METHODS THAT CAN ONE DAY BE USED TO REINTRODUCE SIHEK TO GUAM.