Incredibly Rare Bird Dies at National Zoo in DC

WASHINGTON, DC — An ultra-rare species of bird known as the Guam kingfisher has died at the Smithsonian National Zoo's Bird House in D.C., bringing the total world population of the species to just 145 individuals.

The National Zoo said on its Facebook page that it was saddened by the passing of the kingfisher, which died Jan. 7 at 17 years of age. He had arrived back in July 2013 and lived at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, before that.

"Although he did not sire any chicks, he served as a terrific ambassador for his species," the zoo stated, adding that the Guam kingfisher is the most endangered species in the National Zoo's collection.

As the name implies, the species in endemic to the U.S. territory of Guam in the Pacific Ocean, but it has gone extinct in the wild due to the introduction of the brown tree snake, which decimated the population. The Guam kingfisher — also known as the Micronesian kingfisher — is now restricted to a captive breeding program.

The breeding program has been met with some success, and officials hope to reintroduce the birds back to their native range in Guam at some point in the near future.

Image via National Zoo