In 1826, mosquitoes arrived in Hawaii and pushed native birds toward extinction. Now, scientists are releasing millions of mosquitoes to save them

Hawaii’s native birds are facing a severe conservation crisis, with dozens of species already extinct and many of those that remain threatened by a disease they have little natural resistance to.

The main threat is avian malaria, a potentially fatal disease transmitted by mosquitoes. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 39 Hawaiian honeycreeper species are already extinct, while 11 of the 17 species that remain are threatened.