Kiwikiu (Pseudonestor xanthophrys) is an endangered Hawaiian finch endemic to the island of Maui within the United States. Due to its small range and population, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service recommended establishing a second population of kiwikiu within its historical range. In 2019, we attempted to reintroduce the kiwikiu to the south slope of East Maui in an area where they were once found. After a decade of preparation, including fencing, ungulate removal, outplanting, avian disease surveys, predator trapping, and mosquito control, the area was presumed ready. Fourteen kiwikiu were transferred to the site: seven wild and seven from a conservation breeding facility. They were placed into aviaries within the translocation site for 1-2 weeks. Before release, a transmitter was placed on the bird to allow for tracking. After only a month, all but three were confirmed to have died from avian malaria, a non-native disease spread by invasive mosquitoes that had expanded into higher elevations. The translocation highlighted the variance in mosquito movements and how quickly disease can flood a habitat. This awakened the possibility that kiwikiu may have few years left before extinction, persisting within a narrow band of elevation on the north slope of East Maui. Their recovery is now dependent on landscape-level disease control, a tool under development. We will continue to monitor the wild population, encourage habitat restoration, establish a population in captive care, and evaluate the possibility of a translocation to another island, while implementing urgently needed disease control.