As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Sunday 4 September 2016

Release planned for native bird species extinct in wild


Updated 6:16 pm, Saturday, August 27, 2016

HILO, Hawaii (AP) — A dozen birds native to Hawaii will be released in November to end over a decade of extinction in the wild for the species.

The corvid is part of the crow family and will be reintroduced at a natural area reserve aviary, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported (http://bit.ly/2bOs2LC).

State and federal wildlife officials along with the San Diego Zoo have planned more releases over a five-year period.

First-year costs will be $800,000 and decrease by about half after that. The zoo and federal and state dollars fund the program.

"It's been such a long-term and large-scale conservation effort," said project coordinator Jackie Gaudioso-Levita. "We are extremely excited to see and hear 'alala in the wild."

The 12 birds are going to an aviary to ease the transition from captivity.

Predators and disease killed 21 of 27 corvids that were raised in captivity and then released in the 1990s.

San Diego Zoo experts are giving chicks in this latest group lessons in hiding from predators.
The release was postponed to November from mid-September.

"It's to make sure that every aspect of the project is completely ready to go," Gaudioso-Levita said.

Public outreach for the project has been ongoing.



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