The Nene - Branta sandvicensis - is a species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It is the State of Hawaii. The Nene is only found in the wild on the islands of Hawaii, Maui and Kaua. The Nene is an inhabitant of shrubland, grasslands and coastal dunes.

Description

Adult males have a black head and hindneck, buff cheeks and heavily furrowed neck. The neck has black and white diagonal stripes. Aside from being smaller, the female Nene is similar to the male in colouration. The adult's bill, legs and feet are black.

Call

A variety of calls have been heard and described, mostly soft and apparently conversational in nature. The loudest and most commonly recognized call is very similar to that of the Canada Goose, a resonant “honk” or “ha-wah.”

Food

The Nene is an herbivore, its food made up of grass, flowers, shrubs, leaves, fruit and seeds.

Breeding

The breeding season is from August to April. Most eggs are laid between November and January. Nests are built by females on a site of their choosing, in which one to five eggs are laid. Females incubate the eggs for 29 to 32 days, while the male acts as a sentry. Goslings are able to feed on their own, and they remain with their parents until the following breeding season.

Conservation Status –Vulnerable

The Nene is the world's rarest goose. Hunting and introduced predators had reduced the population to 30 birds by 1952. However, this species breeds well in captivity, and has been successfully re-introduced; in 2004, it was estimated that there were 800 birds in the wild.

Birdwatching

It is only found in the wild on the islands of Hawaii, Maui and Kaua. They can now be found in captivity in every WWT centre.