{"id":44438,"date":"2024-12-04T19:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-04T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/b962a1bc-8f54-4d5f-8c78-4b2cb809eaf3"},"modified":"2024-12-05T00:27:24","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T23:27:24","slug":"a-complex-sound-is-drifting-through-the-forests-of-hawaii-for-the-first-time-in-years","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/a-complex-sound-is-drifting-through-the-forests-of-hawaii-for-the-first-time-in-years\/","title":{"rendered":"A complex sound is drifting through the forests of Hawaii \u2013 for the first time in years"},"content":{"rendered":"

Five \u2018alal\u0101, or Hawaiian\u00a0crows, have been released onto the island of Maui, part of a greater effort to return the native birds to their forest homes. <\/p>

By Graeme Green\n <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 04 December 2024 at 18:30 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Scientists and local communities are celebrating the release of five \u2018alal\u0101, or Hawaiian\u00a0crows, on Maui for the first time ever, meaning the burbling song and complex calls of the birds can now be heard in the wild in the Hawaii archipelago again. <\/strong><\/p>

The intelligent and charismatic species was historically found on\u00a0Hawai\u2019i, known as Big Island, but went extinct in the wild in 2002, due to habitat loss and fragmentation, predation and disease from introduced species, and other factors.\u00a0<\/p>

“Maui\u2019s\u00a0landscape has been without\u00a0\u02bbalal\u0101 for such a long time, so\u00a0it\u2019s very exciting to have wild\u00a0\u02bbalal\u0101 again,\u201d says\u00a0Brissa Christophersen, research associate with the Maui Bird Conservation Center<\/a>.<\/p>

“With this release, we hope to see\u00a0\u02bbalal\u0101 thriving in their environment, including vocalising and eating insects and native fruits.<\/p>

“Seeing the return of\u00a0\u02bbalal\u0101 in our forests is bigger than just a ‘reintroduction’ effort – it\u2019s the return of k\u016bpuna (ancestors) to\u00a0\u02bb\u0101ina (‘land’ or ‘that which feeds’). Having them back in their forest home is such an exciting milestone, not just for the organisations that came together to make this happen, but also for the greater Hawai\u02bbi community.\u201d<\/p>

Extensive conservation work has increased the population of \u2018alal\u0101 from fewer than 20 birds in the late 1990s to more than 110 today. The remaining birds were previously only found at a small number of zoos and conservation centres.\u00a0<\/p>

‘Alal\u0101 at the Maui Bird Conservation Center prior to release\/San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance <\/figcaption> <\/figure>

How it was done \u2013 and lessons from the past<\/h2>

The\u00a0five \u2018alal\u0101\u00a0were hatched and prepared for release under the care of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance at Keauhou Bird Conservation Center on\u00a0Hawai\u2018i\u00a0and Maui Bird Conservation Center on Maui.<\/p>

The two females and three males spent several months in a social group at Maui Bird Conservation Center to establish bonds, with each bird evaluated prior to release, including their abilities to forage for food and respond to predators.<\/p>

Between 2016 and 2020, 30 \u2018alal\u0101\u00a0were reintroduced into the Pu\u02bbu Maka\u02bbala Natural Area Reserve on Hawai\u2019i. But after several years, their\u00a0numbers began to decline again and reintroduction was paused, with the remaining \u2018alal\u0101\u00a0returned to human care. Insights from those reintroductions will help scientists in the new Maui project.\u00a0<\/p>

“Returning \u2018alal\u0101 back to the forest is not easy,\u201d says\u00a0Bryce Masuda, senior conservation program manager, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “They\u2019ve been in aviaries for so long, for generations – nearly all of them since the 1990s. Now it\u2019s all about helping them return to the forest again.<\/p>

“There\u2019s still a lot we don\u2019t know about how exactly we can best help them thrive in the forest. We\u2019re learning as we go. It\u2019s a tough process because of how long it takes, but our partners and the community are committed to it.\u201d<\/p>

Extensive conservation work has increased the population of \u2018alal\u0101 (Corvus hawaiiensis) from fewer than 20 birds in the late 1990s to more than 110 today\/San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance <\/figcaption> <\/figure>

What’s next?<\/h2>

The release of \u2018alal\u0101 on Maui is seen as a significant milestone in a long-term conservation program to return the birds to their forest homes.<\/p>

“The goal is to return \u2018alal\u0101 to the forests of Hawai\u2018i Island again in the future,\u201d says\u00a0Megan Owen, Vice President of conservation science for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.\u201c<\/p>

We\u2019re focused on both Hawai\u2018i island and Maui. As we observe the \u2018alal\u0101 closely on Maui, we\u2019ll gain valuable insights into how to best ensure they thrive in the wild. That insight will help us and our partners in future releases.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

Maui Bird Conservation Center staff caring for ‘Alal\u0101\/San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance <\/figcaption> <\/figure>

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