Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Kilauea, Kaua'i, Hawai'i, USA
December 2015
Member of the Duck, Goose, and Swan Family
§A Blizzard of Geese§
★Hawai'i's State Bird★
★Rarest State Bird★
★Rarest Goose★
{Etymology Corner} They make a 'Nay Nay' Sound
~"true" bird fact~ Unlike other geese, the Nene doesn't migrate. In fact,he generally doesn't even leave his home island. He's somewhat more terrestrial than other geese, having his webbed foot partially evolved into a non-webbed one, to make him better at walking on bare lava rock. He has an extinct cousin called the Giant Hawaii Goose, who was 4 times larger (!!!) and couldn't fly at all.
How endangered are they? There are only 2500 Nene. At one point, the bird was extremely common on the islands. Anyone want to guess when? If you were thinking 'before white people got there', you would be correct. Between 1778, when 'discoverer' Captain James Cook arrived, and 1952, the population dropped from 25,000 to 30. Three Zero. Drastic action was taken to save the bird, and an extensive captive breeding program helped bring them back from the brink, enabling them to make a comeback to the point where they could be reintroduced back into the wild. Much of the credit for saving this species falls to Sir Peter Scott, a british naturalist and conservationist who founded the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. He oversaw their recovery at the Slimbridge WWT, a reserve in Gloucestershire, England.
Bears a mysterious smile
Overeats and doesn't mind
Has no ill-will towards others, although it would be very justified
Lives on 'island time' for sure
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