DNA fingerprinting using two probes reveals a high proportion of band-sharing for seven captive 'Alala. A comparison of data from three other wild corvid populations suggests that the captive population is strongly inbred. The absence of comparable data from the wild 'Alala, however, limits the usefulness of these data. It is not clear whether the extant wild population is suffering from inbreeding depression caused by the loss of genetic variation.

Recommendation 17: Because the wild population is so small and the need for increasing numbers of birds is so critical, addition of new wild-caught adult birds to the captive stock should have a very low priority until the wild population has increased, because this action is not likely to provide a genetic advantage.

Release of captive birds on the McCandless Ranch solely for the purpose of augmenting genetic variability has no supporting rationale. Any releases must be part of a full-scale management plan.

At the present time, genetic studies on the wild population should be considered to be of secondary importance. It is clear that the preservation of genetic diversity in both the captive and wild populations will require that these populations be increased in size as rapidly as possible. Until the wild and captive populations increase substantially, demographic considerations should remain the principal determinants of management activities. However, genetic analysis (e.g., DNA, electrophoresis, and chromosome analyses) should be completed on all captive birds, and on all offspring of wild pairs that are subject to manipulation in any form. This information could prove especially valuable for recovery management, but if not, we have still performed an important function of documenting data that could prove useful in future conservation efforts with other species.