Five crows came back to a forest that had lost them — and they are building nests

Nearly two years after their release into the forests of Haleakalā on Maui, all five ʻalalā — Hawaiian crows once extinct in the wild — are alive, healthy and behaving like wild birds again. Monitored by the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, the birds forage for native fruits, insects and spiders, weathered Tropical Storm Lala and other Kona storms, and one dominant pair has now built nests in two consecutive seasons, the female sitting while the male stands guard. No chicks yet, but program manager Hanna Mounce calls this 'a strong and hopeful phase' — and planning for renewed releases on Hawaiʻi Island is already underway.

SDG 15 · Life on land — Mechanism: institutional program