Last Caw

Biologists report that the Hawaiian crow, or 'alala, may be extinct in the wild

BIOLOGISTS REPORT that the Hawaiian crow, or 'alala, may be extinct in the wild. The crow, which lives only in Hawaii, has been decimated by deforestation, introduced diseases including avian malaria and pox, and nonnative cats, rats and mongooses that prey on the birds' eggs and young. Forty 'alala still survive in captivity, and scientists hope eventually to reintroduce the species to the wild. The crow is the latest victim in a state that has lost more native species than anywhere else in the United States, as well as most places in the world.