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Birds, Not Mosquitoes
I Ola Nā Manu Nahele - So The Forest Birds Thrive
Maui 'alauahio PC: Hayatara Sakitsu
Birds, Not Mosquitoes is a multi-agency partnership urgently working to protect the native Hawaiian honeycreepers from extinction. The southern house mosquito is invading these birds’ habitats and spreading a deadly disease called avian malaria.
Together, the partnership is using landscape level conservation methods to save native forest birds, including the application of BTi (a naturally occurring soil bacteria that targets mosquito larvae), translocation of imperiled birds to safer spaces, habitat restoration, and captive care. Our efforts also include looking into future innovations as science evolves.
As of fall 2026, BNM is expanding the use of BTi to critical forest bird habitat on Maui. Read more about the project status here.
The Birds Cannot Wait
The plight of our native honeycreepers, even within just the past three years, has grown increasingly dire. Mosquitoes expand into new habitat, infiltrating further and further upslope as warming temperatures aid in their dispersal. Field crews report forests that were once vibrant with song and movement, now silent and almost lifeless.
In 2025, the 'akikiki became functionally extinct due to avian malaria, with so few (if any) birds left that any chance for recovery in the wild has passed. In 2026, Kauaʻi’s akekeʻe is nearing extinction, followed closely by other species like Maui’s endemic kiwikiu. Other species, including the 'i'iwi and ʻakiapōlāʻau, may have more time, but remain highly vulnerable to mosquito-borne diseases and could follow similar trajectories towards extinction.
Without continued conservation efforts, including suppressing disease-carrying mosquitoes, we will lose many of our precious manu nahele (forest birds). Our team remains committed to following the science, learning from the data, supporting innovation, and pursuing every responsible avenue available to protect Hawaiʻi’s unique and irreplaceable native birds.
Want to join us?
Learn how to help.
Kiwikiu: <200 in the wild
'Akeke'e: <100 in the wild
'Akikiki: Functionally extinct in the wild