Information About the Nene Bird

No other species of goose in the world is rarer than the Nene (Branta sandwicensis), Hawaii's state bird. There were perhaps as many as 25,000 of these geese in the island chain prior to the arrival of explorers in the late 1700s, but by the middle of the 1900s, as few as 30 remained. Efforts to repopulate the islands with the Nene appear to have succeeded for the most part, as the Nene struggles against the specter of extinction.

  1. Identification

    • The Nene is a typical goose in that the males and females look alike, with the male being somewhat larger. The Nene is a smaller bird than its relative, the Canada goose, with large specimens approaching 26 inches in length. The Nene has a black facial area, and its crown and the back of its neck is black. In the front of the neck area, as well as on the sides, black and white markings that resemble stripes exist. The rest of the body, including the back, chest, wings and tail, are buff-gray colors, with barring across the sides and wings.

    Features

    • Two major physical differences separate the Nene from other geese species. One is that a Nene has weak wings, with long flights an impossibility for the species; the Nene does not need to migrate anywhere and does not need to have the ability to be an excellent flier. Another is that the Nene is such a terrestrial bird that it lacks a totally webbed foot, having longer toes than other geese. This adaptation allows it to walk about more easily on the rocky lava of its Hawaiian home.

    Geography

    • The Nene originally lived on the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui and Molokai, according to fossil evidence, states the Honolulu Zoo website. The Nene now is at home on Hawaii's Big Island on the volcanic slopes of mountains such as Mauna Loa, Hualalai and Kilauea. Populations of the bird also occur on Maui, reintroduced into the wild by conservation efforts aimed at saving the species. The Nene does not require water to be nearby, as other geese do, and often live in upland areas such as pastures and on lava flows.

    Behavior

    • The Nene female makes its nest on the ground, surrounding her eggs with vegetation like grass and twigs that sit on top of the hard lava. The female lays eggs from August through April, with most females doing so from November through January. The eggs, of which there may be three, require 30 days to hatch and the newborn chicks will not be able to fly for three months. This fact leaves them extremely susceptible to predation by animals like feral cats and dogs, as well as an introduced species that wreaks havoc on the Nene---the mongoose. If water exists nearby to the nest site, the Nene can swim away from danger.

    Facts

    • The bird's name originated from its quiet call of "nay-nay," according to the Whatbird site. The Nene consumes a diet of grasses, sedges, flowers, seeds and berries. The Nene is monogamous and will select a partner for life, although if one dies, the other will take another mate. Hunting of the Nene for food helped to decimate its numbers. The Nene became Hawaii's state bird symbol on May 7, 1957.