On Nov. 11, 2024, five juvenile ʻalalā (native crows) were released from the Hawaiian Endangered Bird Conservation Program into the forests of Southeastern Maui.
Since the 1990s, birds from the ʻalalā breeding program were released exclusively on Hawaiʻi Island, where they were historically found. However, this marked the first-ever release of ʻalalā to the forests of Maui, where threats like ʻio (native hawks) do not exist. The group consists of two females and three males, selected from seven potential candidates, and all hatched in the summer of 2023.
As juveniles, the birds learned to forage for native fruits like ʻōlapa, ʻōhelo, and pūkiawe. Each bird underwent pre-release training to help them respond defensively to potential predators, such as cats and barn owls. This involved pairing these threats with intense ʻalalā alarm calls. Understanding their social hierarchy was also important to reinforce healthy bonds once in the wild.
Students from five different Maui schools gifted unique names to each of the five ʻalalā, reflecting aspects of each bird’s personality and Maui’s remarkable natural environment. The release cohort was moved to a temporary forest aviary several weeks before the official release. The doors were opened and they flew free! Tiny backpack trackers will help researchers, and us, follow the ʻalalā on their Maui journey.
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