ʻAlalā

Hawaiian crow; Corvus hawaiiensis

ʻAlalā

ʻAlalā are the sole surviving member of a remarkable group of five endemic corvid species once found on at least four of the Hawaiian Islands. ‘Alalā do not exist anywhere else on the planet and evolved with the plants, animals, and culture of Hawaiʻi.

ʻAlalā were historically known to eat over 30 species of native fruits, making them an important seed disperser for native plants. An omnivore, the ʻalalā diet can also include nectar, flowers, insects, spiders and dead animals. ‘Alalā are the largest and one of the most charismatic and culturally significant Hawaiian forest birds. Very intelligent and by far the loudest birds in the forest, they make incredible human-like cries, screams, and moans.

ʻAlalā are extinct in the wild. As the wild population of ʻalalā steadily decreased, a captive breeding program began to prevent total species extinction. By 2002, the last two wild birds were seen in a south Kona forest.

Currently, ʻalalā are protected in San Diego Zoo Wildlife Allianceʻs breeding program facilities on Maui and Hawaiʻi Islands. The ʻAlalā Project, a conservation partnership, fosters continued captive breeding activities and efforts reintroduce/rewild the species back onto the landscape.

To learn about The ʻAlalā Project and ongoing collaborative efforts to restore Hawaiʻiʻs native crow to the wild, click here.

Stories from the Field

Five young ‘alalā are making healthy behavioral strides in the forests of Maui. The intrepid captive-reared ‘alalā have been flying free on the slopes of Haleakalā for more than six months. The release of this cohort in Maui Nui was a significant milestone in a longstanding ‘alalā recovery effort. Extinct in the wild since 2002, the recovery effort aims to return this ecologically and culturally important species to its forest home. 

Since release, Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project has been engaged in daily monitoring of the five birds. We are excited to share perspectives from the field! Some of our ʻalalā monitoring team have written personal accounts of their time on the landscape with these magnificent birds. We begin with a blog post from Faith Bellas.

ʻalalā blog_ Faith Bellas

A photo of Faith Bellas in the forest landscape shared with ʻalalā.

Cultural Significance

ʻAlalā play crucial roles both ecologically and culturally within the Hawaiian landscape. 

“He ʻalalā, he manu leo nui”
The ʻAlalā, the bird with the big voice.

ʻAlalā are sacred in Hawaiian culture and regarded as ʻaumākua or spiritual family guardians.

Hawaiian forests are family; there is a shared ancestry among the people, plants, animals, and landscapes, including species like the ʻalalā. By returning the ʻalalā to the wild, we are welcoming home a family member that has been away for a long time and fulfilling our reciprocal responsibilities as stewards and ancestors of this land.

He ʻalalā, he manu leo nui

The ʻōlelo noʻeau above translates to “The ʻAlalā, the bird with the big voice”. ʻAlalā have a wide variety of moans, cries, and cawing calls that they make. They are by far the loudest bird in the forest. By definition, their name ʻalalā speaks of their loud voice. It is defined as the cry of a child, the person who would be calling out commands for the chief during battle, or a style of chanting with a tremor to the voice and prolonged vowels. Click play below to hear some of the many calls that ʻAlalā make. 

Audio Player

Life History and Conservation

Life History, Distribution, Habitat

ʻAlalā are the sole surviving member of a remarkable group of five endemic corvid species once found on at least four of the Hawaiian Islands. ‘Alalā evolved with the plants, animals, and culture of Hawaiʻi. The ʻAlalā is a social bird that typically traveled in family groups.

ʻAlalā live as long as 18 years in the wild and up to 28 years in captivity, forming lifelong social bonds with each other. Pairs typically mate for life producing 2-4 eggs per clutch. Immature birds remain with their parents for about 8 months. The young have blue eyes that transition to brown in adulthood.

On Hawai’i Island, ʻAlalā were documented to utilize mesic, ‘ohi’a- koa dominated forests. They are recognized as important seed dispersers for forest regeneration, known to consume over 30 species of native fruits.

Habitat degradation and introduced disease have forced this important species to the brink of extinction.

Conservation Efforts

Extinct in the wild since 2002, the recovery effort aims to return this ecologically and culturally important species to its forest home.

Efforts to rewild/reintroduce ʻalalā back onto the landscapes of Hawai’i are ongoing. Factors attributed to the species’ extinction in the wild include habitat loss, predation from introduced predators such as wild cats, rats, and mongooses, and avian diseases spread by introduced mosquitoes.

The ʻAlalā Project conservation partnership began reintroduction efforts on Hawai’i Island. Following significant challenges to these efforts, in 2021, the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project joined The ʻAlalā Project to collaboratively manage ʻalalā recovery efforts within the forests of Maui.

Currently, five young ‘alalā are making healthy behavioral strides in the forests of Maui. The intrepid captive-reared ‘alalā have been flying free on the slopes of Haleakalā for more than six months. The release of this cohort in Maui Nui was a significant milestone in a longstanding ‘alalā recovery effort. Since release, Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project has been engaged in daily monitoring of the five birds.

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