Nene (Hawaiian Goose)
Branta sandvicensis
-Pronounced “nay-nay”
-This is Hawaii’s state bird and it is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, meaning it is native only to those Islands
-Most commonly found in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii Island and in Haleakala National Park on Maui Island
-These unique birds were almost wiped out on the Hawaiian Islands from cats, pigs, and rats. Captive breeding by humans brought their populations back up from threatened to vulnerable, which they are currently listed as under the IUCN Red List (2017).
-Both sexes have identical plumage, which is a unique trait amongst these geese
-Their feet only being partially webbed enables them to better walk around volcanic rock
-The soft call (which sounds a bit like a low cow “moo”) makes this goose unmistakable
-Diet: seeds, leaves, buds, flowers, fruits
-Mating Season: August-April
-Offspring: clutches of 1-6 often laid in November or January
HERE AT ALAMEDA:
If you are lucky, you may see one of the Nenes charge a keeper or another bird, which is a funny sight to see. When these birds charge, they stretch out their long necks, stick out their tongues from open beaks and run towards their enemy.