Drones are Helping Prevent Bird Extinction in Hawai‘i

Drones are Helping Prevent Bird Extinction in Hawai‘i

Article by American Bird Conservancy

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In a race to protect rare Hawaiian honeycreepers from extinction, American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and members of the multi-agency Birds, Not Mosquitoes (BNM) partnership have started using drones to combat deadly avian malaria, spread by non-native mosquitoes. The drones are expected to expedite an innovative solution to this urgent threat: They deliver non-biting, lab-reared male mosquitoes carrying a common bacteria that results in sterile eggs when the males mate with wild females. Over time, the invasive mosquito population will be reduced, and native bird populations will have the chance to recover.

Part of a multistep honeycreeper conservation plan that began with helicopter deployments, the male mosquitoes are delivered in biodegradable pods, each of which contains about 1,000 insects. This effort marks the first known instance of specialized mosquito pods being dropped by drones. 

“It’s extremely exciting to have reached this project milestone,” said Adam Knox, who is the drone pilot and Aerial Deployment of Mosquitoes Project Manager for ABC. “The first drone deployments took place in April 2025. It took a lot of hard work and reliance on strong partnerships to reach the point where we could successfully demonstrate the utility and potential of drone aircraft as a tool for this important work, especially in one of the more challenging environments in the world. This opens up a lot of possibilities now and into the future. With a drone, we have more flexibility with deployment timing in areas that generally have very unpredictable weather, and it’s safer because no humans need to ride in the aircraft as pilot and crew to deploy the mosquitoes.”

“Without significantly reducing invasive mosquito populations, multiple native bird species will disappear forever in the near future,” said Dr. Chris Farmer, ABC’s Hawai‘i Program Director. “At least 33 species of honeycreeper are now extinct, and many of the 17 that remain, including the Kiwikiu and ʻĀkohekohe on Maui, and ʻAkekeʻe on Kauaʻi, are highly endangered. Last year, the ʻAkikiki became functionally extinct in the wild, and mosquitoes could cause other species to quickly decline and vanish if no action is taken.”

A pod containing beneficial mosquitoes gets released by a Drone Amplified system. Photo by Adam Knox.

Following years of rigorous study, analysis, and regulatory approvals, the releases began in November 2023, with crews in helicopters releasing the male mosquitoes into remote forests on Maui and Kaua‘i twice each week. Now, drones are poised to assist with the efforts. Many regulatory and engineering steps were required to make the use of drones viable in targeted environments. One of the largest hurdles the team had to overcome was finding a safe way for drones to carry and then drop multiple small, cylindrical pods containing the male mosquitoes. 

A particular challenge was the need for the pods to maintain a controlled temperature. Unlike other insect species that have been released directly from drones in other parts of the world, BNM’s mosquitoes are fragile and require containment in temperature-controlled pods. To carry and release the pods remotely, the drones had to be outfitted with novel hardware developed by engineers working with ABC. And to maximize delivery, each drone was designed to drop multiple small pods into the targeted environment.  

One of ABC’s partners, Drone Amplified, remarked on the project: “Drone Amplified is focused on using drone technology to support environmental solutions and address challenges,” said Max Tubman, Director of Integrations at Drone Amplified. “Partnering with ABC has allowed us to apply our tools in a way that directly supports conservation efforts and delivers real-world impact.”

The environment itself was another major design and implementation challenge. The mosquito deployments occur over thousands of acres of remote, mountainous terrain with significant elevational changes, strong winds, and frequent rain. The drones and their release systems had to be tested in these demanding conditions to validate their ability to carry out the basic components of the mission. 

Another ABC partner remarked: “IS4S Orlando has leveraged its drone delivery skillset obtained through ongoing industry projects to design the Birds, Not Mosquitoes pod drop system,” said Jason Generotti, Principal Engineer at IS4S Orlando. “Collaborating with the ABC team has been an enjoyable experience as they match IS4S motto of ‘Speed with Discipline,’ allowing IS4S to rapidly iterate and develop well-functioning prototypes.”

Drone testing and deployment demonstrations will continue to be conducted at select active mosquito suppression sites. Once all testing is complete, standardized integration into the aerial deployment workflow will be underway.

“Reducing invasive mosquito populations is absolutely critical in preventing the extinction of Hawai‘i’s vulnerable honeycreepers,” said Farmer. “We have the technology to break the avian disease cycle in Hawai‘i, and a fighting chance to restore populations. We are the generation that can save honeycreepers like Maui’s Kiwikiu, and with a population of less than 150 individuals, these drone and mosquito suppression advancements have come just in time.” 

Watch Vanishing Voices to learn more about how ABC is taking bold action with Birds, Not Mosquitoes partners to prevent the extinction of birds in Hawai’i and how you can help support.

Content Tags

Birds Not Mosquitoes
Extinction
Hawaii
Hawaiian Honeycreepers
Invasive Species
Oceans & Islands
American Bird Conservancy

American Bird Conservancy (ABC) takes bold action to conserve wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Inspired by the wonder of birds, we achieve lasting results for the bird species most in need while also benefiting human communities, biodiversity, and the planet’s fragile climate. Our every action is underpinned by science, strengthened by partnerships, and rooted in the belief that diverse perspectives yield stronger results. Founded as a nonprofit organization in 1994, ABC remains committed to safeguarding birds for generations to come. Join us! Together, we can do more to ensure birds thrive.

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Birds, Not Mosquitoes

Birds, Not Mosquitoes (BNM) is a coalition of state, federal, private, and nonprofit partners. Our mission is to protect the native Hawaiian manu nahele (forest birds) by advancing efforts to suppress the non-native southern house mosquito population in high-elevation forests across the Hawaiian islands. These invasive mosquitoes carry avian malaria, which could drive some endangered native Hawaiian honeycreepers to extinction in the next two to five years.