The first Cahow fledgling since 1620 has been recorded at Nonsuch Island, Government announced this afternoon.

The fledgling is a major triumph for the team involved in the Cahow Recovery Programme that aims to save the critically endangered sea bird from extinction.

While the Cahow was believed extinct since it was last seen in the 1620s, when it was ‘rediscovered’ in the 1950s only 17 nesting pairs were found on several rocky islands in the east end of Bermuda.

Nonsuch Island has not had any nesting Cahows since the 1620s as it has long been used by man, and had rats and other domestic animals which would kill the Cahow chicks, but since restoration as a 'living museum' Nonsuch has had all the predatory animals removed and now closely resembles the habitat the early settlers described the Cahow as nesting in.

Between 2004 and 2008 a total of 105 Cahow chicks were moved, or translocated from the tiny nesting islets to Nonsuch Island when they were two-thirds grown. Here they were fed squid and fish, fitted with tags and monitored until they flew to sea. One hundred and two chicks successfully fledged to sea.

In 2008 the first of these now fully grown Cahows returned to nest burrows on Nonsuch having spent the first years of their life living far out in the ocean. Four Cahows, identified as leaving from Nonsuch in 2005, were recaptured prospecting new nests.

In 2009 the first breeding pairs of Cahows began preparing burrows on Nonsuch with at least seven pairs of translocated chicks from 2005 and 2006 identified. Although Cahows usually do not produce their first chicks until they have nested for about two years, one pair on Nonsuch produced their first chick in 2009 – the first Cahow chick to be hatched on Nonsuch in almost 400 years.

Jeremy Madeiros, the Conservation Officer (Terrestrial) for the Department of Conservation Services who has been overseeing the Cahow Recovery Programme for nine years said: “Quite simply I am thrilled. Over the moon!

“I never expected that we would see a nesting pair produce a chick so soon. While the translocation plan seemed simple in theory, it was difficult to carry out and we were never quite sure it would be successful — until now.

“I’m hopeful that next year we will see more chicks born on Nonsuch and we will then truly have secured a major victory in ensuring the future survival of this most extraordinary bird.”

World renowned conservationist and former Government Conservation Officer Dr. David Wingate was involved in the Cahow recovery Prgramme beginning in the 1950s and has dedicated much of his life to saving the Cahow.

Dr. Wingate said: "I can not think of a more perfect success story appropriate to the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Bermuda as the Cahow practically saved the early settlers but then they almost became extinct because of them!"

* Full story and pictures in tomorrow's Royal Gazette.