In their forest home in the Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve, 11 ‘alala — native Hawaiian crows — appear to be doing well following several days of heavy rain generated by Hurricane Lane.
The critically endangered birds, which are the first to have been successfully released into the wild from conservation breeding facilities last fall, are among the wildlife that experienced more than 30 inches of rain during the storm.
“The Hawaiian forest is very resilient and, in that way, the ‘alala are also very resilient,” said Alison Greggor, Ph.D., a post-doctoral research associate with San Diego Zoo Global. “Our team got out here as soon as it was safe, and they saw no ill effects on the birds. They weathered the storm very well.”
The reintroduction team described the 11 birds as being quite hardy. They have lived in the forest for almost a year, including one entire winter.
‘Alala are known to be highly intelligent, but the field team said they were thrilled that despite nearly 3 feet of rain throughout four days, the birds remained unharmed.
State Department of Land and Natural Resources staff also accessed the site as soon as it was safe to assess any damage to roads and infrastructure and check the status of management actions.
“Decades of intensive habitat management have made the reserve a unique ecosystem — home to some of the island’s rarest birds and plants,” said Jackie Gaudioso-Levita, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife biologist.
These ‘alala — along with 10 others planned to be released this fall and dozens of others waiting in the wings — are the subject of one of Hawaii’s most intensive and complex conservation breeding and reintroduction programs in history. The last wild ‘alala were seen more than 15 years ago in South Kona.
Experts from a host of state, federal, nonprofit and private agencies and organizations — all partners in The ‘Alala Project — have spent years rearing birds in conservation centers on the Big Island and Maui, managing suitable habitat and strategically planning their release back to the wild.
In addition to last year’s release and this fall’s upcoming release, the plan is to continue releasing birds into native forests for at least the next three years. Ultimately, the hope is that ‘alala in the wild eventually will breed successfully and re-establish their place in the ecosystem.
Bringing species back from the brink of extinction is the goal of San Diego Zoo Global. As a leader in conservation, the work of San Diego Zoo Global includes on-site wildlife conservation efforts (representing plants and animals) at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park and San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, as well as international field programs on six continents.
The work of San Diego Zoo Global is made possible by the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy and is supported in part by the Foundation of San Diego Zoo Global.
