Starting From Scratch: Husbandry Techniques to Establish the First Population of 'Akikiki (Oreomystis bairdi) in Human Care Using Wild-Collected Eggs.

Conservation breeding programs can save species from extinction by establishing assurance populations that provide individuals for achieving species recovery goals in the wild. However, keeping animals in human care can result in the selection of phenotypes that may be suboptimal for post-release survival and reproduction. It is therefore essential that conservation breeding programs provide animals with naturalistic conditions that facilitate the performance of species-typical behaviors, an endeavor that is also a vital aspect of animal welfare.