Hawaii State Bird
Nene the Hawaiian Goose

The Hawaii State Bird, the Nene, also known as the Hawaiian Goose, has been fighting extinction since the 1940s, when it was legal to hunt them. The Nene became the Hawaii State Bird in 1957, by which time, they were protected. Conservationists bred the Hawaiian Geese in captivity, hoping to one day free them back into the wild, and save the species. There is a Nene preserve on Molokai that still breeds them in captivity. Now they are no longer hunted by humans, but by mongooses, dogs, and cats.

Nenes now live in small populations on Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai. There are about 800 Nene that roam the wilderness of Hawaii today. The Nene is on the Federal List of endangered species.

Many people will describe the Nene to be very similar to the Canadian goose. But, what most people don't realize, is that the Nene actually is the Canada goose. They were not brought here, but somehow they managed to make their way all the way to Hawaii, and over the centuries they have adapted to the climate and changed a bit, but not very much.

Nenes have a black face, beak, and hind neck. Their cheeks are a golden color. They have white rows of feathers on their neck with black skin showing, making them appear to have black and white stripes. The plumage of male and female is the same. One thing that is unique and interesting about the Hawaiian goose, is that unlike all other geese, it’s feet are not completely webbed. Nenes usually range from 21- 26 inches in length.

Nenes usually make soft, quiet noises, but their loud call sounds like a “honk” similar to that of the Canadian goose.

The Hawaiian goose eats native and introduced plant. Their breeding season is in the winter time. They can pretty much be seen anywhere. I have seen them by the beach in back yards, but they seem to prefer higher altitudes. Nene in captivity can be seen at the Honolulu zoo.

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