FaunaHub
EWExtinct in the WildPartial review

Hawaiian Crow

Corvus hawaiiensis

Hawaiian crow ('alala) (Corvus hawaiiensis), a dark forest crow.

Hawaiian crow / 'alala (Corvus hawaiiensis); now Extinct in the Wild.

Image: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

At a glance

IUCN category
EW · Extinct in the Wild
Animal group
Birds
Population trend
Trend unknown
Last verified

Conservation overview

The Hawaiian crow, or 'alala, is a forest crow found only in Hawaii. It is assessed as Extinct in the Wild, surviving in captive breeding with reintroduction efforts.

It is one of the few birds known to use tools to extract food.

Range & habitat

Formerly the forests of Hawaii; now survives in captivity and careful reintroduction.

Major threats

Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.

  • Introduced predators and disease
  • Past habitat loss
  • A tiny founder population

Why it matters

A clever, tool-using island crow that vanished from the wild, the 'alala is a flagship for Hawaiian forest restoration and captive-breeding recovery.

Gallery

A Hawaiian crow perched.

Hawaiian crow (Corvus hawaiiensis).

Image: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

Sources for Hawaiian Crow

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Hawaiian crow use tools?
Yes. The 'alala is one of the few birds documented using tools, manipulating sticks to extract food from crevices — a trait shared with only a handful of other birds.
What does 'Extinct in the Wild' mean for the 'alala?
It means the species survives only in captivity (and via reintroduction attempts) rather than as a self-sustaining wild population. See the IUCN Red List.

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