Restoring the Extinct in the Wild ‘Alalā (Hawaiian Crow)

Blueprint

ASSESS

The last remaining endemic corvid species in Hawai‘i is called the ‘Alalā and they are a key disperser of native Hawaiian fruiting plant species. ‘Alalā face a multitude of challenges in the wild, including habitat alteration and destruction, predation by introduced mammalian and endemic avian predators, human interactions, and introduced diseases. Over 100 years ago, ‘Alalā were considered to be relatively abundant on Hawai‘i Island. However, over the past century ‘Alalā populations rapidly declined, and by the 1940s ‘Alalā appeared to have disappeared from portions of its known range, particularly in low elevation areas. This rapid decline led to ‘Alalā becoming one of the first species listed as endangered in the United States under the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1967. Intensive field surveys in the 1960s and 1970s confirmed that the population had indeed rapidly declined and its range had significantly contracted.

PLAN

Reviews of the status of ‘Alalā were conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, State of Hawai‘i, and the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences in the 1980s and 1990s. These assessments recommended the establishment of the ‘Alalā Recovery Team in 1992, which consisted of experts from various conservation agencies, organizations, and landowners, who evaluated the changing situation of ‘Alalā and made conservation recommendations. However, while this planning was ongoing, by the 1990s the ‘Alalā population reached a low point of fewer than 20 individuals alive. It was concluded that managed care interventions would be necessary. Today, planning for the ‘Alalā is conducted using the IUCN Conservation Planning Specialist Group’s “One Plan” approach, during which in situ and ex situ plans and activities are integrated and developed jointly and cooperatively.

ACT

Based on the Recovery Team’s recommendations, a rear-and-release effort was conducted from 1993 to 1997, in which eggs were collected from wild nests, nestlings were raised by puppet feeding, and reared offspring were released into the wild as fledglings. However, the continued decline of the wild population resulted in the need to establish an intensive conservation breeding program in 1996, as a last-resort to prevent the extinction of this iconic species. This conservation breeding effort was not an easy task to accomplish for such an intelligent, tool-using species like the ‘Alalā. Prior to this conservation breeding endeavor, ‘Alalā had never been intensively cared for and reared, and relatively little was known about the natural history and behavior of ‘Alalā in the wild. Nevertheless, at two facilities in Hawai‘i, the Keauhou and Maui Bird Conservation Centers, species-specific techniques were developed using skill-sets such as wildlife health and nutrition, disease surveillance, and genetic rescue, with the initial goal of increasing the population size and retaining as much genetic diversity as possible. Conservation breeding also allowed for restoration of the native forest habitat to progress in anticipation of future reintroductions. In the meantime, the last two known wild ‘Alalā disappeared in 2002 and were assessed as Extinct in the Wild in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2004.

Results

Intensive conservation breeding prevented ‘Alalā from extinction, increasing the population from < 20 individuals in the 1990s to over 115 in captivity today. After the ‘Alalā population increased to over 140 birds, major partners initiated a reintroduction effort beginning in 2016. This was a significant milestone — the first time ‘Alalā have lived in the wild since 2002. Many pre-release preparations were implemented for this reintroduction, including in-depth anti-predator and native diet training, socialization, physical conditioning, and comprehensive medical examinations. After release, intensive post-release monitoring, supplemental feeding, and introduced mammalian predator control was conducted. As the released ‘Alalā matured, some established breeding pairs, and to date one pair built a nest and appeared to lay eggs — the first breeding activity in the wild in nearly 20 years. Today, the release effort continues to face new challenges; all previously released birds have been returned to the safety of the breeding centers while the team re-evaluates techniques for success.

Visual & Audio References

©Bryce Masuda

Collaborations

Major
Partners

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

State of Hawai’i Department of Land & Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Additional
Contributors

Kamehameha Schools; The Nature Conservancy; Three Mountain Alliance; U.S. Geological Survey; Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park U.S. National Park Service; Kupu Hawai‘i; University of Hawai‘i (Hilo); Hawai‘i Forest Institute; Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science; Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens; University of St. Andrews; Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum; Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; Pacific Biosciences

Funders

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; State of Hawai‘i Department of Land & Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife; San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; Max and Yetta Karasik Family Foundation; Moore Family Foundation; McInerny Foundation; Atherton Family Foundation; The Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation at the Hawai’i Community Foundation; American Forests; HEI Charitable Foundation; John M. Ross Foundation at Bank of Hawai’i; UL Innovative Education Award; Hawaiian Airlines; Career Connected Learning; Hawai’i STEM Learning Partnership; Haynes Family Fund; Hawai’i Community Foundation; Volcano Art Center; Anonymous donors