Nene (bird)

The nene is a bird from Hawaii.

It is the state bird of Hawaii.

This bird has a black head. It has stripes on its neck. Its feet are black too. Its feet help it walk on lava.

The nene eats plants. It likes seeds and fruit. It also eats leaves and flowers.

These birds lay eggs in nests. The mother sits on the eggs. The father stays nearby to watch.

There are not many nene left. People help them grow in zoos. Now, they live in the wild again.

The nene is a special bird from Hawaii. It is the official state bird. You can find them on Maui, Kauai, Molokai, and Hawaii.

Nene have black heads and necks. They have stripes on their necks. Their feet are black and webbed. These feet help them walk on lava. They are herbivores. This means they eat only plants. They like seeds, fruit, and flowers.

These birds mate on land. The female builds a nest. She lays one to five eggs. The mother sits on the eggs to keep them warm. The male stays nearby to act as a sentry. A sentry is a guard who watches for danger. The babies can feed themselves very soon after they hatch.

Not many nene live in the wild today. In 1952, there were only 30 birds left. This happened because of hunting and new animals like cats and pigs. People helped them in zoos. They bred the birds to make more. Now, there are about 3,862 birds. They are the rarest geese in the world.

The nene is a special bird from the Hawaiian Islands. It is known as the Hawaiian goose. This bird is endemic to Hawaii. This means it is found nowhere else in the wild. You can find them on the islands of Maui, Kauai, Molokaʻi, and Hawaii. In 1957, the nene became the official state bird of Hawaii. Its name comes from its soft call.

Nene have a very distinct look. They have black heads and hindnecks. Their necks have black and white diagonal stripes. Their bills, legs, and feet are all black. They have soft feathers under their chins. Their webbed feet are special for their home. The toes are receded to help them walk on lava. Even though they can fly, they spend most of their time on the ground.

Scientists believe these birds have a long history. They likely evolved from the Canada goose. This ancestor probably arrived in Hawaii about 500,000 years ago. This was shortly after the island of Hawaii formed. Long ago, other giant geese lived there too. One was the giant Hawaii goose. It was more than four times larger than the nene. There was also the nēnē-nui on the island of Maui.

Nene follow a unique way of life. They are herbivores. This means they eat only plants like leaves, seeds, fruit, and flowers. Their breeding season lasts from August to April. This is a long time for a goose. Unlike many other water birds, they mate on land. The female chooses a site for the nest. She lays between one and five eggs. The female sits on the eggs for 29 to 32 days. The male acts as a sentry to guard them.

These birds have faced many hard times. In 1778, there were about 25,000 Hawaiian geese. By 1952, only 30 birds were left. Hunting and animals like pigs and cats caused this. People worked hard to save them. A place called WWT Slimbridge in England helped breed them in captivity. This helped bring them back from the brink of extinction. In 2022, there were 3,862 birds. They are now the rarest geese in the world.

The nene, or Branta sandvicensis, is a unique species of bird known as the Hawaiian goose. This bird is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, meaning it is found naturally nowhere else on Earth. Today, wild populations live on the islands of Maui, Kauai, Molokaʻi, and Hawaii. Because of its cultural importance, the nene was named the official state bird of Hawaii in 1957. The name "nene" comes from the soft, gentle call the bird makes.

Physically, the nene is a large goose that has adapted specifically to its volcanic home. Adults possess black heads and hindnecks with buff-colored cheeks. Their necks feature distinct black and white diagonal stripes. The bill, legs, and feet of the bird are entirely black. One of its most interesting features is its webbed feet. These feet have evolved with receded toes to help the bird walk more easily on rough lava. While they can fly between nesting and feeding areas, they spend most of their time on the ground.

The evolutionary history of the nene is tied to the Canada goose, or Branta canadensis. Scientists believe the ancestor of the nene arrived in the Hawaiian Islands about 500,000 years ago. This arrival likely happened shortly after the island of Hawaii was formed. Genetic studies using mitochondrial DNA from fossils show that all Hawaiian geese are closely related to the giant Canada goose and the dusky Canada goose. This lineage also produced other extinct species, such as the nēnē-nui on Maui and the giant Hawaii goose on the Big Island. The giant Hawaii goose was massive, measuring more than four times the size of the modern nene.

Nene are herbivores, which means they eat only plant matter. They graze or browse on various types of vegetation depending on what is available. Their diet includes the leaves, seeds, fruit, and flowers of both grasses and shrubs. They live in many different environments, ranging from sea level to high elevations of 2,100 meters. These habitats include shrublands, grasslands, coastal dunes, and lava plains. They may also be found in human-made areas like pastures and golf courses.

The breeding habits of the nene are quite different from many other waterfowl. Their breeding season lasts from August to April, which is longer than the season for most other geese. Instead of nesting in water, nene mate on land. The female selects a nesting site and lays between one and five eggs. On Maui and Hawaii, the average is three eggs, while on Kauai, the average is four. The female incubates these eggs for 29 to 32 days. During this time, the male acts as a sentry to guard the nest. When the goslings hatch, they are precocial, meaning they can feed themselves immediately. They stay with their parents until the next breeding season begins.

The nene has faced a very difficult struggle for survival. In 1778, when Captain James Cook arrived, there were approximately 25,000 Hawaiian geese. However, hunting and introduced predators like feral cats, pigs, and small Indian mongooses caused the population to crash. By 1952, only 30 birds remained in the wild. To save them, conservationists used captive breeding. The WWT Slimbridge nature reserve in England was vital to this effort. Under the direction of Peter Scott, they bred the birds back from the brink of extinction during the 1950s. These birds were later reintroduced to Hawaii at places like the Haleakalā and Piiholo ranches.

Today, the nene is making a slow recovery, but it remains a very rare bird. In 2004, there were about 800 birds in the wild and 1,000 in zoos. By 2022, the population was estimated at 3,862 birds. This makes the nene the rarest goose species in the world. Scientists still monitor the population closely due to concerns about inbreeding from the small number of original survivors. NatureServe currently lists the species as Imperiled. Despite these challenges, successful reintroductions continue to help the nene reclaim its place in the Hawaiian ecosystem.