Nēnē – Hawaiian Goose
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Status: IUCN Near Threatened; Federally listed as Threatened; State listed as Endangered
Scientific Name: Branta sandvicensis
Hawaiian Name: Nēnē
Family: Anatidae
Population: A 2022 population survey estimated that there are 3,862 nēnē statewide.
Feeding: Nēnē graze on a variety of native and nonnative plants that vary based on location and habitat type.
Breeding: Pairs mate for life. Nests are comprised of a scrape in the ground that is lined with plant material and down.
Life Cycle: Peak nesting occurs from October to March. Nēnē typically lays a clutch of 2-5 eggs, and the incubation period is approximately 30 days. Females incubate the eggs while males defend the nest location. When a female leaves an active nest to forage, she will typically cover the eggs with a layer of down. Goslings are precocial and remain with both parents for 10-12 weeks until fledging.
Taxonomic Information: Once placed in the monotypic genus Neoschen, the nēnē is now a member of the genus Branta. The nēnē is the only remaining endemic goose species in Hawai’i and is closely related to the Canada goose (Branta canadensis).
Threats and Conservation: Hunting, habitat loss and degradation, and predation by introduced mammalian predators led to the near extinction of nene. Captive breeding began in 1949 and in 1960 reintroduction of nēnē to the wild began. Today predation remains a major threat to nēnē eggs, goslings, and adults, thus predator control in nesting areas is a high priority conservation action. In 2020, nene were federally downlisted from endangered to threatened.
PRC and Nene: During the 2022-2023 breeding season, PRC biologists at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (KPNWR) conducted weekly surveys across 168 acres of the refuge to identify and monitor the outcomes of nēnē nests. Nene are one of many species that will benefit from the protection provided by the 168-acre predator-exclusion fence built at KPNWR in 2023.
Sources:
https://www.fws.gov/story/2022-12/plight-nene#:~:text=In%202019%20the%20n%C4%93n%C4%93%20population%20was%20estimated%20at,species%20was%20Federally%20down-listed%20from%20endangered%20to%20threatened.
https://www.nps.gov/hale/learn/nature/haleakala-nene.htm
Pyle, R.L., and P. Pyle. 2017. The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status. B.P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI, U.S.A. Version 2 (1 January 2017) http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/
