By Big Island Now
April 18, 2018, 10:26 AM HST
(Updated April 18, 2018, 10:27 AM)
The Hawai‘i Department of Land
and Resources reports that the eleven young ‘Alalā living in the Pu‘u Maka‘ala
Natural Area Reserve on the Island of Hawai‘i continue to thrive, showing
increased natural behaviors, foraging on native plants, and even challenging
the occasional ‘Io, or Hawaiian Hawk.
Conservationists are cautiously
optimistic about the birds’ continued success in native habitats and are
working together with researchers at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo to
analyze vocalizations of these rare birds. Foraging and other social
behaviors are also being studied to determine if historically seen activities
are increasing now that the group has access to the surroundings in which they
evolved.
“When the only existing ‘Alalā were
living in the protected aviaries at the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center, we
saw fewer types of alarm and territory calls in the population and the
frequency of alarm calls was greatly reduced.” said Alison Greggor,
Postdoctoral Associate, San Diego Zoo Global.
“We are beginning to observe
behaviors that appear to be responsive to the changes and threats available in
natural habitat and we are working on evaluating this scientifically to see if
the birds’ rich behavioral repertoire is being recovered now that they have
been reintroduced into the forest.” said Joshua Pang-Ching, Research
Coordinator of the San Diego Zoo Global’s Hawai‘i Endangered Bird Conservation
Program. Some of these behaviors include foraging on native fruits, searching
for insects within bark of native trees, and interacting with ʻIo, which
is their natural predator.
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