Hawaiian Goose (Nene)

The beautiful Hawaiian goose, or nene, was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957, which was before Hawaii became a state. It is considered the rarest goose in the world due to overhunting by humans and predation by the exotic animals they brought to the islands with them. The good news is the goose’s numbers are recovering slowly but surely.

Where To Find the Hawaiian Goose

As its name suggests, the Hawaiian goose is only found naturally in Hawaii. Specifically, it’s found on the big island, Oahu, Kaua’i, Maui, and Molokai. It prefers a habitat where the trees and bushes are not particularly dense, including scrublands, grasslands, and coastal dunes. It’s even found on the slopes of volcanoes whose vegetation is sparse.

Hawaiian Goose Nests

The nest of the Hawaiian goose is made when the female scrapes a bit of a depression beneath a tree or a bush, then lines it with vegetation and down. It is often near the very place where she was hatched.

Hawaiian Goose Scientific Name

The scientific name of the Hawaiian goose is Branta sandvicensis. Branta is a Latinized form of Brandgás, an Old Norse word for “burnt goose.” Sandvicensis is Latin for “from Hawaii,” as the islands used to be called the Sandwich Islands. There’s only one species and no subspecies.

Hawaiian Goose Appearance

The nene is considered a medium-sized goose, with a length of 20.87 to 25.98 inches and a weight of 3.96 to 5.07 pounds. The goose’s face and the top of its head are black, as are its eyes, feet, and beak. There are cream-colored patches on its cheeks. The long neck is buff-colored and streaked with interesting black grooves that can reveal the bird’s skin. The body and wings are brown or grayish, with white-tipped wings. The tail is also black but white underneath. Males and females appear similar, but females are generally smaller than males.

Hawaiian Goose Behavior

The nene is gregarious and forms flocks, or gaggles of up to 30 birds, though the basic unit of the Hawaiian goose is their immediate family. Their legs and feet are adapted to run over volcanic ground, and the goose seems to prefer running to flying, even though it can fly. It can also swim if it must. The goose has a great repertoire of calls and vocalizations, including cackles, trumpeting, shrieks, murmurs, and the telltale “nēnē.” The Hawaiian goose utilizes a complex threat display that involves stretching out its neck, bristling its feathers, and hissing. A gaggle of geese can also come together and try to ward off a threat.

The goose is active during the day, but at night it doesn’t roost in the trees, but sleeps on the ground with its feet tucked under it.

Hawaiian Goose Diet

The nene has an herbivorous diet and only eats terrestrial plant material. This includes blades of grass, berries, seeds, flowers, and leaves. They are partial to the bottom of the grass blade, which is more nutritious, and use their beaks to pull the grass up. They are partial to grasses such as carex, broomsedge, rat’s tail grass, and violet crabgrass.

Hawaiian Goose Predators and Threats

The Hawaiian goose is preyed upon by a variety of predators. Its reluctance to fly away probably makes it more vulnerable than it might be. Initially, it was hunted and eaten by humans. When this practice threatened the population, it was made the state bird of Hawaii. Still, humans brought with them, purposefully or accidentally, predators who cared not about the goose’s status. These included pet dogs and cats, rats, birds of prey, and pigs. The Indian mongoose is especially responsible for preying on Hawaiian goose eggs.

Other threats to Hawaiian geese are exposure to the elements, parasites, disease, and trauma.

Hawaiian Goose Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

The nene has an energetic courtship ritual. The male struts in front of the female while displaying the white beneath his tail. If she accepts him, they both make trumpeting calls, and the male chases off other rivals. The pair then vocalizes loudly to each other before mating. Unlike other waterbirds, Hawaiian geese mate on land. They are monogamous and mate for life.

The goose is also different from other geese in that its breeding season stretches from August into April, though most pairs mate in October and March. The female lays one to five eggs, and the male guards her, though she doesn’t stay on the nest all the time. Now and then, she gets up to give herself a break and find food. The eggs hatch 29 to 31 days after they’re laid, and the female broods the chicks until their down is dry. After this, chicks are able to find food on their own, but they follow their parents until the next breeding season. The nene is ready to reproduce when it’s two to three years old. Hawaiian geese are long-lived birds and can have a lifespan of 28 to 42 years.

Hawaiian Goose Population

Despite the fact that it’s the state symbol and state bird of Hawaii, the Hawaiian goose is the rarest goose in the world. There are only about 2,200 of them, and 1,000 of these are in captivity. Its conservation status is listed as near threatened by the IUCN Redlist.