Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 10, 1 October 1995 — Ke ao nani [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Ke ao nani

Naturally Hawaiian

by Patrick Ching artist/environmentalist

A critical time for the 'Alalā

I spent many days searching the forests of Manukā and Kalokomauka in Kona. These were areas where my unele said flocks of crows would gather. ... I found none.

A year later I saw one for the first time. It hopped up to me, rolled over, and played dead. I remember thinking that this animal acted more like a dog than a bird. That was in 1 984 at the state eaptive breeding facility

at Pōhakuloa, Hawai'i. The Hawaiian crow, or 'Alalā, is truly in a class by itself among Hawai'i's native birds. It's large and black with a tinge of brown. Prehistoric bone deposits tell us that the 'Alalā and at least two other endemic crowlike birds inhabited the main Hawaiian islands. A very social bird, the 'Alalā often travels and feeds in family groups. Its diet is

extremely varied. consisting of seeds, fruit, nectar and eanion. Able to carry large seeds. the 'Alalā was likely responsible for the dispersal of many native fruit plants. When Captain Cook eame to the island of Hawai'i, he noted that the crows were abundant from Kona to Ka'ū and the Hawaiians held the birds in high regard, sometimes even tethering them near their huts as one would a pet. Today the 'Alalā is on the brink of extinction. Only about a dozen or so are left in the wild, all in

South Kona. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with aid from the Peregrine Fund, is monitoring this wild populaīion and attempting to enhanee their breeding success. Another 14 birds are in the state breeding facility now located in 01inda, Maui. The 'Alalā's bold, curious nature contributed to its decline as countless birds were indiscriminately shot. Disease and habitat destruction affected their

population as well. Another factor affecting the crows may be the 'Io (Hawaiian hawk), whieh has been observed attacking adult and immature birds and is suspected of preying on chicks. This is a critical time for our native crow. In Hawaiian the word 'alalā means "to cry out loud." Indeed, today's 'Alalā has something very serious to cry about.

A rare sight: an active Alala nest.