It avoids more dense, closed forests. Originally ranged in elevation from 305 to 2,440m. It forages for insects among leaf litter and sometimes extracts nectar from flowers. A secretive bird which is usually heard before it is seen. Breeding pairs nest from March through to July.
Clutches consist of one to five eggs, but recently few young have survived to fledge.
Its breeding range was historically restricted to the forests of the slopes of the Hualalai and Mauna Loa volcanoes. The Hawaiian Crow was fairly common until the 1930s, but has been exterminated from all but one ranch as a result of habitat destruction and illegal hunting. Increased grazing, introduced predators and avian diseases have probably also contributed to its decline. The difficulties in captive breeding this species are exacerbated by the small number of individuals and the consequently restricted gene pool. The Hawaiian Crow is protected by federal and state law.