The official Hawaii State Bird is Nene (nay-nay), or Hawaiian
goose. Branta sandvicensis as it is
known by its scientific name, Nene is widely believed to have evolved from
the Canada goose.

The Hawaiian goose bears a striking resemblance to its
Canadian ancestor except that only the head, bill, face and crown are black with cream cheeks, a buff-colored neck with dark streaks, barred gray/brown body and black feet. An adult Nene is about
25 inches long (around 65 cm). Wild populations on the Big Island are most
frequently found on the grassy slopes of Mauna Loa Volcano and in Hawai’i Volcanoes
National Park
.


The Hawaii State Bird, Nene, is the world's rarest goose




Nene is Endemic to Hawaii

The Hawaiian goose is one of 63 documented species of endemic birds in Hawaii. This means it is found in the wild only in Hawaii and nowhere else, making Nene the world’s rarest goose. How did this happen? Hundreds of thousands of years ago, when the Big Island was still very young, it’s possible that a flock of Canada geese landed in Hawaii, perhaps being blown off course during their annual migration. Being in a tropical climate, there was no longer any reason to migrate. Nene adapted to its new environment, and over thousands of years evolved into an entirely new species.

Hawaiian goose Nene

Without the need to fly long distances, the wings of Nene became shorter. Having also evolved to become less aquatic and more independent of wetlands, their webbed feet have given way to something of a half-webbed claw-like foot with longer toes that makes it more useful for gripping than for swimming. The adapted feet and upright posture make it easier for the Hawaii state bird to walk along the rough lava surfaces.




Hawaii State Bird – An Endangered Species

At one point, at least nine species of geese had evolved in the Hawaiian Islands. Because they probably adapted to graze on the low-lying plants of ancient Hawaii, eight of these species were flightless, perhaps making them easy targets for early hunters. Whatever the reasons, eight of the nine species became extinct. Nene is the lone flyer, and the lone survivor.

Prior to the arrival of man in Hawaii,
and in particular Westerners, Nene had few natural predators. They thrived
in the tropical climate on the slopes of the volcanoes, feeding on an endless
supply of seeds, berries, leaves and flowers. Before the arrival of Captain Cook and crew in 1778, Nene were abundant on the Big
Island. Unfortunately, hunting by
humans and attack by other animals (brought by those same humans) nearly wiped out the
entire population.

The mongoose was particularly problematic. Several dozen
mongooses were imported to Hawaii
from Jamaica in
the 1880s, in hopes of getting rid of rats that were destroying the sugar cane
crops. Big mistake! Rats are nocturnal (most active at night), and the mongoose is mostly active
during the day, so they rarely met. With no natural predators on the island, the
mongoose population grew exponentially. They became an even greater pest than
the rats and, with a particular liking for bird eggs, became one of the biggest
threats to the native ground-nesting bird population.

By the early 1900’s, a Nene population that once numbered in
the tens of thousands had dwindled to a few scattered flocks. Efforts to
preserve their dwindling numbers began as early as 1911, when it became illegal
to hunt these unusual birds. Despite this, the population continued to decline,
constantly threatened by rats, the introduced mongoose, stray dogs, feral cats
and even wild pigs, all of which prey on the eggs and the young chicks.

In 1957 when Nene became the official Hawaii State Bird,
fewer than 40 of the birds were known to still exist in the wild. It was added to the
Federal List of Endangered Species in 1967. Captive breeding and ongoing
conservation efforts like the program started in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in the 1970’s, have helped to increase their total numbers, currently
estimated to be close to 2000 birds in the wild. Nearly 500 reside on the Big
Island.

Hawaiian goose Nene, the state bird

If you spot Nene during your visit, please keep your distance from these shy, regal birds. And please do not feed them.


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