Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan - U.S. Fish and Wildlife ...

Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
the last observations of „ō„ū and considered prime habitat for the species), was inundated by the 1984
Mauna Loa lava flow, destroying thousands of acres of forest and creating a treeless corridor over
0.62 mi wide. On Kaua„i, two strong hurricanes, Iwa in 1982 and Iniki in 1992, had devastating
effects on native forest habitat and native bird species. Three native bird species, „ō„ū, „ō„ō, and
kāma„o have not been seen since Hurricane Iniki (USFWS 2006b).
4.4.5 ‘Alalā (Corvus hawaiiensis)
The „alalā is a member of the family Corvidae, the family of birds that includes ravens, crows, jays,
and magpies. Members of the crow family are recognized for having a high degree of intelligence
and excellent memory. They are generally relatively raucous and gregarious birds, and are known for
their complex “language-like” vocalizations. The „alalā is a typical medium-sized crow, from dark
brown to black in color.
The „alalā is endemic to the Island of Hawai„i. Historically, the species was restricted to a belt of
native dry woodlands, and mesic „ōhi„a and „ōhi„a/koa forests found at mid-elevation 984-8,202 ft in
the western and southern portions of the island, from Pu„uanahulu in the North Kona District to the
vicinity of Kīlauea Crater in the Ka„ū District. „Alalā occupied their entire documented historical
range during the 1890s and were observed in large numbers in both closed and disturbed forests
(USFWS 2003).
In the early 1900s, the population density of „alalā was noticeably reduced and their range was
becoming fragmented. The species was extirpated from lower elevations by the 1940s, and occupied
only small areas of its historical range by the 1950s. Further substantial declines occurred through the
1960s and early 1970s. In 1976, an estimated population of 76 ±18 (95 percent CI) birds was
restricted to elevations of from 2,950 -6,230 ft in three areas in the Kona District (Hualālai,
Hōnaunau Forest Reserve/McCandless Ranch, and Honomalino), and one area in the Ka„ū District
(Scott et al. 1986). „Alalā have not been encountered in the Ka„ū District since 1977, when a single
bird was observed in HAVO in the eastern most part of its known historical range (USFWS 2003).
„Alalā were extirpated from Honomalino and Hōnaunau by 1986. By 1987, the wild population had
been reduced to a single 12-year-old female on Hualālai and an undetermined number on the
McCandless Ranch near Hōnaunau. The Hualālai female was last observed in late 1991. A thorough
survey of the McCandless Ranch in 1992 indicated a wild population of 12 birds, including a single
juvenile. No additional „alalā were found during a subsequent survey of extensive forest tracts around
the island. After 1993, the wild population of „alalā was observed intensively, as the number of birds
gradually declined to a single pair in 2002 (USFWS 2003). This species is now believed to be extinct
in the wild, as the last free-living pair has not been sighted since June 2002 (USFWS 2003).
In 1976, the State of Hawai„i formally established a captive breeding program for the restoration of
the „alalā. Through the efforts of several partners, including the State, FWS, The Peregrine Fund,
Zoological Society of San Diego, and private landowners, the captive population was established
over successive years by obtaining birds from the wild, raising chicks from artificially incubated wild
eggs, and successfully breeding captive birds. In 1993, captive-reared „alalā were reintroduced into
the wild at sites along the southern boundary of the KFU at an elevation of 4,920 ft. Of the
27 fledglings released, 21 died or disappeared by 1999. Of the birds recovered, seven died from
lethal interactions with „io, three died from toxoplasmosis (Work et al. 2000), two died from other
infections (Work et al. 1999), and one died from mammal predation (USFWS 2003). All birds also
Chapter 4. Refuge Biology and Habitats 4-27