Alala, the Endangered Hawaiian Crow

The Hawaiian crow which is called the alala eats mainly fruits that are plucked from a bush or a tree. The crow is related to the blue jay and the raven which are found in the mainland United States.

There are only 4 alala in the wild living on the island of Hawaii. Alala may become extinct in the wild by the end of this century.

Today the state and federal goverments are jointly working to breed the alala in an effort to re-establish it as a plentiful member of the wildbirds community. Farmers are breeding the Hawaiian crow in captivity but, it is a difficult process.

The alala female will lay 2-4 eggs at a time. Nesting begins in spring, with hatching concentrated from April to June.

The alala feeds on insects and occasionally feeds on nectar of the juice of the ohia flower. Also the alala bird eats red berries of the 'ie'ie, which the Hawaiians use for making rope and scarlet'ohelo which grew abundently around Kilauea. That berry was sacred to Pele the volcano goddess.

The Hawaiian crow is not as sleek nor as black as its Mainland relatives. Farmers in the 1800's shot them as pests. The Hawaiian hawk and the Alala are relatives. The Alala is a social crow that travels in a family group. '