University of California - Santa Cruz Feb 10 2026 New research on avian malaria, which has decimated Hawaii's beloved birds, explains how non-native birds play a key role in transmission and contribute to the widespread distribution of the disease. This disease threatens many native species that are integral to Hawaii's identity and its unique and fragile ecosystems. Avian malaria, caused by a microscopic parasite and transmitted by mosquitoes, has contributed to the extinction of more than a