Ka‘ū News Briefs, Sunday, March 15, 2020

A mature ʻAlalā in the wild is a sight no one would ever see again if not for the ʻAlalā Project. Read below how the crows released into the wild are doing. ʻAlalā Project photo

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To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

In the egg, hatching, newly hatched, or with baby fluff, ʻAlalā are raised by humans in the hopes that a wild population will someday make a comeback, without the need for direct human intervention. ʻAlalā Project photos

RECOVERY OF ENDEMIC ʻALALĀ, the Hawaiian crow, is moving along slowly. Considered extinct in the wild, ʻAlalā are part of a recovery effort for releasing captive-born birds back in to the wild. An update from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources states that, since 2016, 40 ʻAlalā have been released and ten are known to remain in the wild.
     So far, the ʻAlalā hatched and raised in captivity and released into the forest, have shown signs of breeding preparation, foraging skills, and predatory evasion. The ten remaining released ʻAlalā live in the Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve in Volcano.

     Jackie Gaudioso-Levita, coordinator for The ʻAlalā Project and biologist with DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, said, "We knew from the beginning, based on the long history of species reintroductions globally, that we would have setbacks. The lack of ‘Alalā existing in the wild means birds hatched in conservation breeding centers do not have the opportunity to learn survival skills from adults in a natural setting. That's one of the issues we addressed more fully in the rewrite of our reintroduction plan in 2017, through anti-predator training, as well as release site selection and using social interactions to form release groups."
     Dr. Ron Swaisgood, reintroduction specialist for San Diego Zoo Global, which works to reintroduce ʻAlalā, said, "Although we all regret the losses of these ʻAlalā, this experience is not unlike those we have had with other species back on the mainland, like the California condor or the Stephens' kangaroo rat, which had many obstacles to establishing successful reintroduction. I am heartened that we had high survival initially after our 2017 and 2018 ʻAlalā reintroductions, indicating that the pre-release training and habitat management measures we took were working. But it is worrisome that recently many ʻAlalā that had survived a year or more in the wild have now perished. We are all grappling with understanding and addressing these losses."
     During 2018 a group of ten birds was released and in 2019 a group of seven birds was released. Six birds from the 11 2017 cohort have since died or gone missing. Two of these birds were killed by ‘Io, one was killed by another ‘Alalā, and the carcasses of three others were never recovered. Five of the ten birds in the 2018 cohort have died or gone missing, and only one of seven birds from the 2019 cohort has survived.

Captive-born ʻAlalā are released into the wild after some acclimatization. During this time, they get to meet some of the previously-released Hawaiian crows. ʻAlalā Project photo

     Successes such as the pairing of released birds and nest building in 2019 are important milestones as the team and the birds move into this upcoming breeding season with hope that the remaining birds will successfully breed in the wild.
     Michelle Bogardus, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic Team Leader for Maui Nui and Hawaiʻi Island, said, "It is incredible to watch as both the birds and the Project continue to adapt and learn through this process. The birds are exploring their new habitat, learning from each other, and learning how to survive on their own. We are grateful for the continued support of the community as well as all of our partners as we look to the next stage of recovery for the ʻAlalā."
     The team continues to monitor the remaining five males and five females at Pu‘u Maka‘ala NAR, and "remains cautiously optimistic." The team is working toward next steps for the species: the release of a cohort in the South Kona area planned for 2022. Gaudioso-Levita said, "In the meantime, we are working to keep the ten surviving ‘Alalā healthy and safe, through internal project expertise and consulting with fellow reintroduction experts across the globe. We acknowledge more challenges are ahead, but the steps that will lead to the recovery of the species are still within reach."

     Twenty years ago the ‘Alalā was on the brink of extinction. In a last ditch effort to save the species, a group of state and federal government partners, and San Diego Zoo Global, began hatching and raising birds in conservation breeding centers at the San Diego Zoo Global's Keauhou Bird Conservation Center on Hawai‘i Island and Maui Bird Conservation Center on Maui. Those birds became the basis of the program to release ‘Alalā back into native forests and recover the species. In 2016 the first cohort of ‘Alalā was released into the Pu‘u Maka‘ala NAR. Following initial losses from natural predators, the bird were re-captured and a new anti-predator training program was created to better prepare the birds for life in their native habitat.