Day 20 of Avian August 2025, Birds of Hawaii, hosted by @cookiedoves: Nēnē or Hawaiian Goose (Branta sandvicensis)
The nēnē is the state bird of Hawaii. They evolved from Canada geese that arrived on the islands about 500,000 years ago and never left. Since then, they have adapted to a more tropical habitat. Nēnē feet have less webbing than those of Canada geese, which makes them well-suited for walking on rough volcanic terrain. They spend much more time on land than their ancestral cousins, spending less time in the water and flying only short distances between feeding and nesting areas.
In the 1950s, their population on the islands had dropped to around 30 individuals. Today, they are still considered a threatened species, but thanks to conservation programs and captive breeding, their numbers have rebounded to about 3,000.
The geese share their habitat with a native Hawaiian shrub/tree called naio (Myoporum sandwicense). The fruit of the naio is an important food source, and the nēnē help spread the plant’s seeds across the Hawaiian landscape.
