Officials turn to Puerto Rico for bird recovery advice

HONOLULU (AP) — State officials are turning to Puerto Rico wildlife experts for advice on how to save the Hawaiian crow, the ‘alala.

Hawaiian wildlife officials invited a Puerto Rican biologist who took part in the U.S. territory’s effort to save its endangered parrot to come observe their own bird recovery project.

Much like the ‘alala, the Puerto Rican parrot had to be kept in captivity and faced challenges during its early reintroduction to the wild. Today, the parrot is thriving in forests, Puerto Rico wildlife officials say.

The ‘Alala Project aims to find a safe way to reintroduce the endangered bird back into the wild after breeding it in captivity.

Wildlife officials’ last attempt ended with two of five ‘alala dead within the first week of their release. Necropsies determined that two ‘alala were killed by the Hawaiian hawk, or the ‘io, and one bird died after being weakened in a winter storm.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Tom White, with the Puerto Rico Parrot Recovery Program, recommends conducting more intensive predator-aversion training, as Puerto Rico did with its parrot, to increase the Hawaiian crows’ chances of survival.

“Needless to say, subsequent groups released the following years were all subjected to aversion training, and we did not see any similar episodes of high mortality with the other Rio Abajo releases,” White said in an email.

‘Alala Project Coordinator Jackie Gaudioso-Levita said they hope to conduct a second release in the Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve near Hilo by late summer or early fall.