Eleven young ‘Alalā—critically endangered Hawaiian crows— have been released into Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve on the Island of Hawai‘i.

Thanks to a successful conservation breeding program  conservationists are ready to begin returning ‘Alalā to their native forests. But the process isn’t easy, or quick. 

The ‘Alalā, or Hawaiian crow, has been extinct in the wild since 2002. The species has been preserved in captivity at two special centers in Hawai’i - Keauhou and Maui Bird Conservation Centers managed by San Diego Zoo Global’s Hawai‘i Endangered Bird Conservation Program.

‘Alalā are an important part of the life of the Hawaiian forest. The seeds they eat and  disperse help support native plant species, and their reintroduction to the forest after more than a decade is expected to play an important part in the overall recovery of the Hawaiian forest ecosystem. 

‘Alalā are not only ecologically significant, but they are also revered in Hawaiian culture. At sunrise on the day of the bird’s release, a ceremony was held by members of the ʻAlalā Project to set the intentions for their return to their forest home.

Conservation breeding programs are key tools for recovering threatened and endangered species.

Two females and four males were released in September, and a second group of five birds - two females and three males - were released in mid-October. 

 An earlier reintroduction attempt was halted in 2016 because of challenges posed by winter storms and predation on ‘Alalā by `Io, (Hawaiian hawk). But concerted reintroduction efforts, funded by the State of Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), San Diego Zoo Global, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have addressed those challenges by changing the timing of release to avoid winter storms, changing the release site location, releasing a social group of both males and females, and enhancing the “antipredator training program” to teach the released birds how to better respond to predators like `Io. 

A high mortality rate is associated with releasing species into the wild. This is especially true for species like ‘Alalā that have been in captivity for longer periods of time, and so a successful conservation breeding program gives managers the flexibility to adapt their management techniques to improve successful transition to the wild.   For ‘Alalā, these continued efforts are also essential to the species’ recovery.

“Recovering threatened and endangered species takes dedicated partnerships like The ‘Alalā Project,” said Michelle Bogardus, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic Team Leader for Maui Nui and Hawaii Island. “We will continue to work with our partners to protect and recover Hawaii’s threatened and endangered species.”

The outcomes of the 2016 release posed great conservation challenges to the members of the ‘Alalā Working Group, the decision-making body of the ‘Alalā Project. The next step to the recovery for ‘Alalā could only be realized through innovative thinking, consultation with outside experts, and extensive revisions to the reintroduction strategy.

“If not for the strength of partnerships in the ‘Alalā Working Group, we would not be able to move forward as efficiently as we have”, said Jackie Gaudioso-Levita, project coordinator of the ‘Alalā Project. In addition to the funding agencies and organizations of the ‘Alalā Project, cooperative partners include Kamehameha Schools, Three Mountain Alliance, U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Park Service.

“The recovery of the ‘Alalā is an excellent example of partners working together to do something that has never been done before.” said Bryce Masuda, conservation program manager of the Hawai‘i Endangered Bird Conservation Program. “Although bringing the ‘Alalā back from the brink of extinction will take a lot of time and perseverance, many people are dedicated to saving this important species.”

Nine of the birds released in 2017 were moved to a flight aviary early in the year to allow them to acclimate to the sights and sounds of the Hawaiian forest and to socialize them with the two males that survived the December 2016 release. They were then transferred to a smaller aviary in the forest two weeks prior to the release. Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve is an area that conservationists of the Three Mountain Alliance and DLNR have worked for decades to preserve, protecting native plants and species, and it represents a type of high-elevation habitat where ‘Alalā originally lived before their numbers began to decline.

DLNR Chair Suzanne Case commented, “This has been an ongoing learning process for everyone, to get it right for the ‘Alalā to learn the skills they need to survive. The entire projecthighlights the benefits of protecting habitat and addressing threats such as predators, disease, and invasive species before populations decline so rapidly that recovery becomes even more challenging.”

Learn More and Follow Along:

Learn more about The ‘Alalā Project.

Follow the progress of the birds and the Alala Working Group on Facebook at @alalaproject.

Read a recent blog update from San Diego Zoo Global.

Hear more about the project in this video news release from Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources