Millions of mosquitoes released in Hawaii to save rare birds from extinction

The scarlet honeycreeper, or ‘i’iwi, has a 90% chance of dying if bitten by an infected mosquito. Thirty-three species of the bird are already extinct. Photograph: Photo Resource Hawaii/Alamy

Millions of mosquitoes are being released from helicopters in Hawaii in a last-ditch attempt to save rare birds slipping into extinction.

The archipelago’s endemic, brightly coloured honeycreeper birds are dying of malaria carried by mosquitoes first introduced by European and American ships in the 1800s. Having evolved with no immunity to the disease, the birds can die after just a single bite.