Nene

Néné

The Néné, or Hawaiian Goose, Branta sandvicensis is the species of goose found only on some of the Hawaiian islands. It gets its name from its soft call.

This is an unmistakable species, with its generally brown plumage (feathers) and darker head. Its strong toes have much reduced webbing (skin between the toes), an adjustment to the lava flows on which it breeds. The Néné goes about on land much more than other water birds. When moulting (dropping old feathers and growing new ones), the Néné cannot fly, like other geese, the factor which almost caused it to die out.

This is the world's rarest goose. Once common, hunting and predators brought to the islands such as mongooses, pigs and cats at one time reduced the population to 30 birds. However, this species breeds well in captivity (zoos and bird parks), and has been successfully re-introduced. There are also good numbers in wild bird collections.

The Néné is the state bird of Hawaii.