Nene

The Nene, or Hawaiian Goose, is a medium-small goose with a black face and crown, a buff-and-black furrowed neck pattern, and a grey-brown body with black barring. It is the official state bird of Hawaii and is believed to have descended from Canada Geese that colonized the islands hundreds of thousands of years ago, subsequently evolving reduced webbing between the toes as an adaptation to walking on rough lava terrain rather than swimming.

Unlike most geese, Nene spend relatively little time in water, instead favoring open volcanic slopes and grasslands where they walk and graze.

Key field marks

• Black face, crown, and hindneck
• Buff-cream neck deeply furrowed with diagonal black stripes
• Grey-brown body with black-edged feathers giving a barred look
• Only partially webbed feet, an adaptation to walking on lava rock

Similar species

Within Hawaii, the Nene has no similar native species; its closest relative, the Canada Goose, is not found in the islands. The distinctly furrowed buff-and-black neck pattern and terrestrial habits make it unmistakable where it occurs.

Range and habitat

The Nene is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and today is found mainly on Hawaii Island, Maui, Kauai, and Molokai, occupying volcanic slopes, lava flows, native shrubland, and increasingly golf courses and pastures at various elevations.

Migration

Nene are non-migratory residents that may make local elevational movements between breeding and molting areas but do not undertake long-distance migration.

Behavior

Nene walk more than they swim or fly, spending most of their time grazing on foot across open ground, often in pairs or small family groups, and are generally less wary than mainland geese due to a historic lack of predators.

Voice

The call is a soft, moaning "nay-nay" or "ne-ne," from which the bird takes its name, quieter than the honking of most geese.

Feeding

They graze on grasses, herbs, and berries, including the fruits and leaves of native Hawaiian shrubs, foraging mostly on land rather than in water.

Nesting and breeding

Nests are shallow scrapes lined with down, placed under shrubs or in dense vegetation on volcanic slopes; breeding season runs mainly from autumn through winter, unusual timing tied to the islands' wet-season plant growth.