Extinct in the wild since 2002, Hawaii's crows are nesting again on Maui

The ʻalalā, Hawaii's native crow, vanished from the wild in 2002 and survived only in conservation centres. In December 2024, five of them were released into East Maui's forests — the species' first taste of Maui ever. Nearly two years on, a state update confirms all five are alive, healthy and behaving like wild crows: foraging for native fruit and insects, holding territories, and pairing up. A dominant pair has built nests two breeding seasons running, the female sitting while the male stands guard. No chicks yet — that remains the true finish line — but birds written off as gone are, measurably, coming back.

SDG 15 · Life on land — Mechanism: institutional program