One of
the critically rare native Hawaiian crows appears to be incubating an egg, but
first-time parents are not usually successful.
The
Alala, or native Hawaiian crow, is extinct in the wild. In the 1990s, there
were less than 20 of the birds left on earth.
In a
concerted effort to save the species, Alala have been hatched and reared at the
Keauhou and Maui Bird Conservation Centers as part of a partnership between the
state and federal land and wildlife regulators and the San Diego Zoo. All told,
21 birds have been released into a protected forest on Hawaii Island during the
last two years.
Now
researchers have discovered
a nest built by two birds named Manaolana and
Manaiakalani. Recently, the female bird Manaiakalani has started sitting on the
nest and researchers believe there could be eggs under her jet-black rump.
Two
Alala, the native Hawaiian crow, have reached a new milestone, one not seen in
the forests of Hawaiʻi for almost 20 years: They have
built a nest. The species is extinct in the wild.
The very
existence of an Alala nest is a milestone — something not seen in Hawaii
forests in nearly 20 years. Since there are no adult Alala in the wild for the
reintroduced birds to learn from, Manaolana and Manaiakalani were guided by
instincts in assembling the nest.
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