ʻAlalā Recovery
Restoring Hawaiʻi’s Native Crow to the Wild
Background
The ʻAlalā (Hawaiian Crow; Corvus hawaiiensis) is the last endemic Corvid species found in the Hawaiian Islands.
Like many other native forest bird species in the Hawaiian islands, ʻalalā are primarily threatened by non-native species, loss of habitat, and introduced diseases. Wide-scale deforestation for agriculture and livestock grazing has reduced the amount of native forest in Hawaiʻi to a fraction of previous levels. The onslaught of introduced and invasive plant and animal species further eroded the extent of native forest and reduced forest quality throughout the island. Introduced diseases — avian malaria, pox, and toxoplasmosis — have also impacted ʻalalā survival. Non-native mosquitoes and free-ranging cats spread these diseases.
The documented range for ʻalalā on Hawaiʻi Island covered forest habitats from 1,000 to 8,000 feet in elevation. ʻAlalā populations were known to exist throughout their historic range on Hawaiʻi Island until the 1890s, when the wild population started to decrease precipitously. By the 1970s there were only 76 individuals, and by 1992 there were only 13 ʻalalā in the forest. In 2002, the last ʻalalā pair was seen in the wild.
Attempts to reintroduce ʻalalā back into the forests of Hawaiʻi Island have been ongoing, with the lastest efforts taking place from 2016 to 2019. In November 2024, five ʻalala were released into a forest on the slopes of Haleakalā, Maui. This cohort of five birds continues to thrive on the landscape under daily observation by the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project field team.
Ultimately, the longterm goal for ʻalala recovery and reintroduction efforts is a self-sustaining ʻalalā population on the landscape of Hawaiʻi Island.
‘Alalā do not exist anywhere else on the planet and evolved with the plants, animals, and culture of Hawaiʻi.
Species Status:
Extinct in the Wild
ʻAlalā are the sole surviving member of 5 endemic corvid species once found on at least four of the main Hawaiian Islands. Fossil evidence shows that Corvus hawaiiensis, or a very similar subspecies, lived on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island.
The last fully wild ʻalalā were documented in the forest of South Kona on Hawaiʻi Island in 2002.
Conservation Breeding
The ʻalalā captive breeding effort began in the late 1970ʻs to prevent total extinction of the species. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance manages two conservation breeding program facilities as part of their Hawaiʻi Endangered Bird Conservation Program. The Maui Bird Conservation Center and the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center on Hawaiʻi Island care for over 100 ʻalalā as part of the program.
Reintroduction/Rewilding
Attempts to reintroduce ʻalalā into the wild on Hawaiʻi Island took place in the 1990s and from 2016 to 2019. These efforts yielded many positive results; however, there were also challenges to the longterm goal of ʻalalā remaining on the landscape. When some mortalities occured, the surviving birds were returned to human care in conservation centers. Some of the mortalities were due to a native predator, ‘io (Hawaiian hawk, Buteo solitarius), as well as introduced predators and inclement weather.
In 2021, The ʻAlalā Project conservation partners began work on next steps in the reintroduction process. These efforts shifted focus to releasing birds within the forests of Maui Nui, where ‘io do not occur. Over the intervening years, MFBRP and partners drafted conservation plans for the introduction of ‘alalā to a Maui forest. This collaborative work included cultural and biological assessments, EA submissions, securing permits, identifying funding, drafting a translocation plan, field site selection and preparation, and pre-release training to prepare the captive ʻalalā for forest life.
In October 2024, five young ‘alalā were moved to an on site release aviary on the slopes of Halealakalā, Maui and released onto the landscape in November 2024. Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project monitors the five young birds daily, and providing supplemental food to assist the birds with their transition from the captive breeding facility. These five ʻalala continue to thrive in their forest home on Maui.
The release of ‘alalā on Maui is part of a longterm recovery plan focused on reintroducing ‘alalā back into the forests of Hawaiʻi Island in the future.
Learn More
- Maui News (2025, April 15). ʻAlalā show resolve five months after release in East Maui forest.
- Department of Land and Natural Resources. (2025, April 14). ʻAlala Learn on the Fly in a Maui Forest.
- Department of Land and Natural Resources. (2024, December 4). Historic First Release of ‘alalā in East Maui.
- Department of Land and Natural Resources. (2024, October 9). ʻAlala begin journey back to the wild on Maui.
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. (2024, February 29). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, State, Announce Final EA and FONSI for Pilot Release of ʻAlalā on East Maui.
