It's estimated that avian malaria can kill up to 90% of certain native bird species, like the ʻiʻiwi. But different birds harbor different amounts of the malaria parasite. So how much is enough to do real damage?
Christa Seidl is with the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project. She was a doctoral student at the University of California, Santa Cruz when she started analyzing blood samples for more than 4,000 birds across the state. HPR spoke to Seidl about what she found.
To read the study, click here.
This story aired on The Conversation on Feb. 24, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
