Bocaítos

OPB

The Oregon Zoo gets creative in effort to recover endangered tropical bird

By April Ehrlich

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Context by William-Jose Velez GonzalezComment

pasquines.us/2026/03/16/the-oregon-zoo-gets-creative-in-effort-to-recover-endangered-tropical-bird/

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OPB covers how The Oregon Zoo’s creativity might be helping in the recovery of the Guam Kingfisher:

Sihek (pronounced “SEE-hek”), also known as Guam kingfishers, are brightly colored, long-billed birds endemic to Guam. Zoo scientists have long believed that males couldn’t be housed together without risk of infighting.

But the Oregon Zoo has kept its three males in the same aviary for about two years without incident. It’s a promising finding for zoologists across the U.S. and Guam who are trying to revive the species with limited space.

Sihek were declared extinct in 1988 after invasive snakes in Guam killed most of the birds. Brown tree snakes — native to the Australian coast and its northern archipelagos — took over the island during World War II, likely arriving by cargo ships. They have decimated most of Guam’s native bird species.

Context

Good news for the recovery of the species.

Original story at OPB

About Bocaítos

bo·ca·í·to

boh-kah-EE-toh

noun · Puerto Rican Spanish · plural bocaítos

  1. A little bite, or snack. It’s how Puerto Ricans often say bocadito.
  2. On Pasquines: our pick of a story by another outlet that matters for the territories, with a quote and our context.

From bocadito, “little bite,” from boca, “mouth.”

Examples in SpanishDict

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About the author

William-Jose Velez Gonzalez

William-Jose Velez Gonzalez

William-José Vélez González is a native from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, and a graduate from Florida International University in biomedical engineering, engineering management, and international relations. A designer with a strong interest in science, policy, and innovation, he previously served as the national executive vice president of the Puerto Rico Statehood Students Association. William-José lives in Washington, DC, where he works at the Children's National Research Institute and runs Opsin, a nonprofit design studio dedicated to making design more accessible. You can see him on Love is Blind as Lydia's brother. He is the founder and Editor in Chief of Pasquines.

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