At Hawaii there are birds that exist only there, nowhere else in the world. They are colorful, small, unique. They are called HoneyCreepers And once more than fifty species counted. Today they are just left 17and almost all of them are in danger. Some, like the‘Akikikihave already disappeared in nature. Others, such as theʻAkekeAndare reduced to a few dozen specimens.
The fault is not only of deforestation or urban development. The biggest threat comes from a tiny enemy: the mosquito. It is not originally from the archipelago: it arrived in 1800 on board whale ships, and with it brought a new problem, the avian malaria. The small birds have no defenses against this parasite and are dying one after the other.
For years, the few specimens remained took refuge in the cooler mountains of islands such as Maui And Kauaiwhere the mosquitoes could not arrive. But now, with the increase in temperatures due to climate changeeven those areas are becoming hospitable for insects. Mosquitoes are going higher and higher. And birds no longer have to escape.
The plan
To lead the answer is the organization American Bird Conservancytogether with a network of local authorities called Birds, Not Mosquitoes. After years of research, they have chosen a precise strategy: use the incompatible insect technique. In simple words: mosquito males, raised in the laboratory and infected with a natural bacterium (the Wolbachia), are released in nature. When they mate with wild females, the eggs do not hatch. No new insect.
It is a method, which does not use pesticides and does not damage the other useful insects. To work, however, it is necessary to be constancy: about every week they are released a million mosquitoes Between Maui and Kauai. Mosquitoes are inserted in biodegradable capsules and launched by drones And helicopterswith the aim of reducing the population of mosquitoes until they are no longer able to transmit malaria to birds.
Less costs, less risks, more effectiveness
Release mosquitoes It is not as simple as it seems. Hawaiian mountains are difficult to reach, the climate changes quickly, and helicopters cannot always fly. In addition, using them costs a lot. For this they entered the scene i dronesdesigned to fly in complicated conditions, with light loads and precise controls.
According to experts, this is The first case in the world in which drones are used for conservation purposes, releasing mosquitoes with a specific mission: save animal species at risk of extinction. All in a cheaper, safer and more sustainable way.
The project is already active and, if it is successful, it could become a model in other contexts, provided that the mosquitoes are actually invasive. In ecosystems where these insects originate, however, the risk would be to alter the most delicate natural balances.
According to a study by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliancethere is still time to save the HoneyCreepers rarer. But you have to act now. If you expect a few more years, it will be too late. The populations are so reduced that even a possible natural mutation of malaria resistance, assuming that it arrives, would not spread quickly enough.
However, if the plan succeeded in contain mosquitoesbirds may have the time needed to recover. In some areas of the island of Hawaii, for example, a certain is already being observed spontaneous resistance to the disease in the species ‘Amakihi.
In parallel, captivity farm centers are working to protect the most at risk species, such as the‘Akikikiwith the aim of reintroducing them in nature when it is possible.
Chris Farmerdirector of the Hawaiian program for the American Bird Conservancy, does not use the least terms:
If we don’t save these birds now, we’ll never see them again. This is our last chance.
