Hawaiian Crow
One of the world's only tool-using birds outside of primates — extinct in the wild and being carefully reintroduced
No photo available for Hawaiian Crow
Population
Around 115 in captivity; reintroduction attempts ongoing in Hawaii
Location
Historically across Hawaiʻi island; reintroduction sites on Hawaiʻi island and Maui
Overview
The ʻAlalā (Hawaiian crow) was declared extinct in the wild in 2002 after the last wild pair disappeared. It has been maintained in captive breeding programs at two facilities on the US mainland. Reintroduction attempts began in 2016 at South Kona Forest Reserve on Hawaiʻi island, but the released birds faced severe harassment from Hawaiian hawks (ʻIo) and most were recalled. A second attempt has been more carefully managed. The ʻAlalā is also one of only a handful of non-primate animals confirmed to use tools spontaneously — a behavior that was not discovered until after the wild population was already gone.
Why they're at risk
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Predation by introduced rats, mongooses, and feral cats eliminated nesting success across most of the range.
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Habitat loss from agriculture and development across Hawaiʻi island reduced the native forest the ʻAlalā depends on.
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Avian diseases, including avian malaria and avian pox spread by introduced mosquitoes, affect released birds at lower elevations.
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Hawaiian hawks (ʻIo), which are native and protected, harass and occasionally kill released ʻAlalā — creating a conflict between two protected species.
Reasons for hope
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Reintroduced ʻAlalā have been observed using stick tools to extract food from crevices in the wild — confirming the tool-use behavior persists in captive-raised birds without any training.
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The captive population has grown steadily, providing a robust source of birds for ongoing reintroduction.
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Mosquito abatement programs in Hawaiian forests are reducing avian disease pressure at the elevations where reintroduction is planned.
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The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources have developed detailed release protocols that have significantly improved post-release survival compared to the 2016 attempt.