Six captive-reared ‘alala were released into the wild Tuesday, part of an effort to reintroduce the critically endangered bird to its former range.
Six captive-reared ‘alala were released into the wild Tuesday, part of an effort to reintroduce the critically endangered bird to its former range.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources said in a news release three of the birds were females and two were male. They were released into the Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve.
They are the first phase of a total of 11 birds slated to be released this year. Plans are to release five more ‘alala — two females and three males — in mid-October from the same aviary.
A first cohort of ‘alala, a group of five juvenile males, was released last December. Three of those birds died shortly after their release. The two that survived were brought back into captivity.
‘Alala, or Hawaiian crow, have been extinct in the wild since 2002.