| Goose, Hawaiian (nene) | |||
| Genus | Nesochen (=Branta) | ||
| Species | sandvicensis | ||
| Status | Endangered | ||
| Habitat | Mountain slopes, kipukas (islands of vegetation on lava flows) | ||
| Distribution | USA (Hawaii) | ||
| Appearance | The nene is medium-sized, with a long, broad bill. The crown, face, eye area, throat, and a wide band on the back of the neck are deep black. The sides of the head and sides and front of neck are tawny buff. The feathers produce a striped appearance. There is also a blackish ring around the base of the neck that broadens in the back. The breast is pale brown, and the rest of its plumage is grayish brown barred with whitish buff. Its bill and legs are black. The females is smaller than the male, and has a shorter neck and darker, duller plumage. Males have a wing length of 372-378 mm, weighing a little more than 2 kg. Females have a wing length of 350-368 mm and weigh about 2 kg. | ||
| Behavior |
The nene has legs and feet well adapted to land, and wings poorly developed for flight. They make their nests under low bushes or scrub, by scooping out a shallow depression in the litter or duff. Leaves, twigs, and down are then used to cover eggs when the birds leave to find food.
Nenes are jealous and quarrelsome creatures. The male, or gander, will defend his territory and family fiercely, but has been known to attack his own mate as well. | ||
| Diet | Plants, vegetables: gosmore, kukainene, pualele | ||
| Feeding | Nenes feed most heavily during the morning and late afternoon. Nenes will eat berries, but they prefer green plants. These geese will also strip seeds from the heads of grasses and sedges. They get their water from fog and condensed dew. | ||
| Breeding | The nesting season for the Hawaiian goose is from October through March. The eggs are creamy white in color, and chicks are grayish brown. Only the females incubate the eggs, but the male will guard the nest from an elevated lookout point a short distance away. The hatchlings are unable to fly from February to late May, a period of time when they are seriously threatened by wild pigs, dogs, cats, and mongooses. The young grow slowly, requiring 10-12 weeks before they are able to fly. | ||
| Sexual Maturity | 3 years | ||
| Gestation | 28-31 days (incubation) | ||
| No. of Young | 3 - 8 | ||
| Conservation |
The Hawaiian goose is endangered because of its vulnerability to introduced predators. It has weak wings and young that are unable to fly, making it easy prey. Overgrazing by sheep and goats have also had great impact on the nene range, as well as the introduced mongoose. Mongooses and dogs are its most significant predators, and the tameness and curiosity of this species makes its extremely susceptible to predation and poaching.
This bird, in 1949, was placed on the IUCN list of the 13 most threatened bird species in the world. Because of this, captive rearing programs were started in Hawaii. Predator control and poisoning have also been activated. Other measures for the management of the Hawaiian goose include: preservation of the natural environments, establishment of permanent refuges, control of predators and grazing, continuation of the captive propagation program, and conductuction of field studies. | ||
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| Animal Communication Panel | |||
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