In an urgent effort to save Hawaii’s critically endangered native birds, drones are now being used to drop thousands of lab-bred mosquitoes into the island forests. These mosquitoes, all males, are part of a groundbreaking conservation strategy to combat avian malaria—a disease decimating species like the brightly colored Hawaiian honeycreepers.
This innovative approach, launched by the American Bird Conservancy and the “Birds, Not Mosquitoes” partnership, involves releasing biodegradable pods filled with male mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacterium. When these males mate with wild females, the resulting eggs don’t hatch—helping reduce the overall mosquito population without the use of pesticides.
A Crisis for Hawaiian Honeycreepers
Hawaii once boasted over 50 species of honeycreepers. Now only 17 remain, and most of those are critically endangered. The ‘akikiki was declared functionally extinct in the wild in 2023. Fewer than 100 of the yellow-green ʻakekeʻe remain.
The key culprit is avian malaria, introduced to Hawaii via mosquitoes in the 1800s—likely brought by whaling ships. Because Hawaii’s native birds evolved without mosquitoes, they have no resistance to the disease. For years, high-altitude mountain forests on islands like Maui and Kauai served as safe zones, too cool for mosquitoes to survive. But climate change is allowing mosquitoes to climb higher, pushing birds closer to extinction.
“If we don’t break that cycle, we’re going to lose our honeycreepers,” said Dr. Chris Farmer, Hawaii program director for the American Bird Conservancy.
The Science Behind the Strategy
To stop the spread of avian malaria, conservationists turned to the incompatible insect technique (IIT). Unlike chemical methods, IIT targets only the mosquitoes and avoids harming native insects. The key is Wolbachia, which renders mosquito eggs infertile when males carrying the bacterium mate with wild females.
Beginning in 2023, scientists began mass-releasing Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes using helicopters. But Hawaii’s rugged, remote terrain made flights expensive, weather-dependent, and limited by aircraft availability.
This summer marked a major milestone: drones began deploying mosquito pods—an unprecedented step in conservation.
Why Drones Make a Difference
Drones provide a flexible, low-cost solution for deploying mosquitoes in areas helicopters can’t reliably reach. They’re safer, reduce carbon emissions, and allow for more precise and timely releases, even in poor weather.
“We’re now releasing about 500,000 mosquitoes a week on Maui and 500,000 on Kauai,” said project manager Adam Knox. “Using drones gives us more flexibility and lowers the risk and cost.”
Hope on the Horizon
It could take a year or more to see the full impact of the releases, but early signs are promising. If successful, the declining mosquito population could offer honeycreepers enough time to recover—and maybe even develop resistance to malaria over time.
One species, the ‘amakihi, has shown early signs of natural resistance on Hawaii Island. Meanwhile, captive breeding efforts for the extinct-in-the-wild ‘akikiki offer hope that birds could someday be reintroduced.
A recent study by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and Smithsonian scientists confirms the urgency of the effort. “If you wait even a couple of years, the window narrows quickly,” said lead researcher Christopher Kyriazis.
Dr. Farmer remains committed: “If we don’t act now, these birds may disappear forever. But we have the tools to save them—and the time to act is now.”
