PUU MAKAALA — Two alala in the Puu Makaala Natural Area Reserve have reached a new milestone, one not seen in the forests of Hawaii for almost 20 years. They have built a nest.
In early April, team members observed two birds, Manaolana and Manaiakalani, beginning to build a nest platform structure near their 2017 release site. Recently the female, Manaiakalani, has begun what appears to be sitting behavior on the nest structure.
As exciting as this development is, biologists caution there are a lot of factors involved that may impact the success of this first nest. First-time parents are not usually successful, and it is not uncommon that birds in the wild will make several attempts before they can successfully fledge their chicks.
The alala, a native Hawaiian crow that went extinct in the wild nearly a quarter of a century ago, have been hatched and reared at the Keauhou and Maui Bird Conservation centers as part of a partnership between the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, San Diego Zoo Global, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Over the past two years, 21 birds have been released into protected forest areas on the island of Hawaii.
“While it’s difficult to see exactly what’s in the nest from observations on the ground we do believe that Manaiakalani is likely sitting on eggs and we’ve observed her male partner, Manaolana bringing her food regularly,” said Dr. Alison Greggor, postdoctoral research associate, with the Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global.
Alala typically lay between three and five eggs and will incubate them for an average of 21 days. If these eggs hatch, the chicks would be the first alala hatched in the wild in two decades.
Another formed pair, Kiaikumokuhalii and Ola, have been seen placing sticks in the nook of an ohia tree. Although, the structure of it and the amount of sticks was not enough to call it a nesting platform yet, Greggor noted that it’s encouraging to see the beginnings of nesting behavior by at least two pairs of alala.
This breeding attempt is the first made by these two birds. Since there are no adult alala in the wild to learn from, the reintroduced birds have had to learn how to build nests, breed, and incubate, also guided by instincts.
“While these are exciting and encouraging steps in the reintroduction process of alala, the journey is far from over,” said Jackie Gaudioso-Levita, the Alala Project coordinator and a wildlife biologist with DLNR/DOFAW.
The team tries to help nesting birds as much as possible without causing disturbance.
Currently, team members are monitoring the nest discretely, from a far distance, and documenting observations of the behaviors of Manaolana and Manaiakalani.
“Hawaiian forests are family. There is a shared ancestry among the people, plants, animals, and landscapes. By returning the alala to the wild, we are welcoming home a family member that has been away for a long time” said Rachel Kingsley, Alala Project education and outreach associate. “The fact that these birds have been able to build a nest on their own shows that these birds are comfortable in the forest they live. Our family is growing.”