Hawaii's State Bird
The Nene, also known as Nēnē and Hawaiian Goose, (Branta sandvicensis) is a species of goose endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It became the official bird of the state of Hawai’i in 1957. The Nene is exclusively found in the wild on the islands of Maui, Kaua’i and Hawai’i. The Hawaiian name Nēnē comes from its soft call.
According to the Hawai’i Audubon Society, the Nene, currently on the Federal List of Endangered Species, is threatened today by introduced mongooses and feral dogs and cats which relentlessly prey upon the Nene’s eggs and young. Preservation efforts are continuing and the success of the Nene in Hawai’i, although not a certainty, is promising. There are now about 800 wild Nene in Hawai’i and the numbers are rising with each breeding season.
We were able to see the Nene at the zoo outside of Hilo and many of these Nene crossing signs. However, we had never seen one along the road. We wondered if they really did exist until this last weekend while driving to the dry side on Hwy 11. Racheal spotted it out the window and had to get a picture to capture the state birds along the way.
The Nene, also known as Nēnē and Hawaiian Goose, (Branta sandvicensis) is a species of goose endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It became the official bird of the state of Hawai’i in 1957. The Nene is exclusively found in the wild on the islands of Maui, Kaua’i and Hawai’i. The Hawaiian name Nēnē comes from its soft call.
According to the Hawai’i Audubon Society, the Nene, currently on the Federal List of Endangered Species, is threatened today by introduced mongooses and feral dogs and cats which relentlessly prey upon the Nene’s eggs and young. Preservation efforts are continuing and the success of the Nene in Hawai’i, although not a certainty, is promising. There are now about 800 wild Nene in Hawai’i and the numbers are rising with each breeding season.
We were able to see the Nene at the zoo outside of Hilo and many of these Nene crossing signs. However, we had never seen one along the road. We wondered if they really did exist until this last weekend while driving to the dry side on Hwy 11. Racheal spotted it out the window and had to get a picture to capture the state birds along the way.
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