Newsletter / Blog
2011-12-02 Hawaii’s State Bird - Nene [Hawaiian Goose]
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. |