An adult nene goose, pencil drawing by Io Flament
Characteristics
The nene goose (in latin: Nesochen sandvicensis) is related to the Canada goose. The nene is a goose that can fly. It is able to swim but can get along fine without water in it's habitat. The nene can grow as tall as 22-26 inches and weight as much as 2.5 kg. Males are larger than females but they have identical plumage. The back of the neck, head, and beak are black. On the bottom of the neck circles a black band. Nene cheeks are yellowish and so are the neck feathers running from the cheeks to the breast. The wings and back feathers are gray-brown with white bars. The breast is light brown. The tail is black with a white underside. The feet of the nene are black, and slightly webbed because they are adapted to climbing on lava. Every spring, for two months the adult nene are molting. They loose their old feathers and grow new ones. At that time, because they are unable to fly, it is dangerous for the adults because a predator could easily kill them. Scientists have identified two calls from the nene: a soft murmuring "nay-nay" and loud cry that they use when territory is threatened.
Habitat
Nene geese are endemic animals to the islands of Hawaii. A long time ago before humans came to Hawai'i, the nene were spread from sea level to high grassy mountain slopes. Wild population are found on the islands Hawai'i, Maui, and Kaua'i, particularly in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Loa, and Pu'u Wa'awa'a on the island of Hawai'i; in Haleakala National Park on Maui; and at the Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge, along the Na Pali Coast, and outside Lihue on Kaua'i. Most nene live on high mountains slopes and lava flows. They have no fear for humans and some have been found nesting on grass in golf courses. Generally, they build their nests in places where plants give them some shelter.
Behavior
A nene eats green leafy plants, berries, grasses, and seeds which also contain the necessary water. Its favorites are crabgrass, 'ohelo' berries, sow thistle, gosmore, and pukiawe.
Nene mate for life and are two to three years old when they build their nest. Nene geese nest in the winter, from November to March. The female makes a shallow nest in the ground and lays typically 2-5 eggs that are cream colored. She plucks feathers out of her breast and tucks them around the eggs. Only the female sits on the nest. She will sit on them for twenty-eight to thirty days. From time to time she will leave the nest, for short periods to find food. The male stands and guards the nest, against predators. For example, mongooses will crack open eggs. Many eggs have been damaged.
The goslings are gray, with black beaks, and dark gray legs and feet. After hatching they can scurry along but will have to wait 3-4 months before being able to fly. The goslings have 4 different calls which mean: "pleasure", "greeting", "sleepy", and "distress". The parents keep the goslings very close to themselves as they move, for they do not want predators such as the mongoose to capture and kill a gosling. Generally, the nene families stay near high grass and bushes, because their plumage blends with the plants. Sometimes the goslings hide in cracks of lava. The nene father will fight for his nest, the mother will try to fool the watchers to go in the opposite direction of the nest. The babies will stay with the adults for one whole year. When an adult nene is threatened, it will lower it's body, bend it's neck, quiver it's neck feathers, and make loud noises or hisses. Nene sometimes bite.
Conservation
The nene is one of the rarest geese in the world. It was estimated that before the arrival of Captain Cook in 1778, there were about 25,000 wild nene in Hawai'i. Nene used to be hunted by Hawaiians who used the feathers to make capes, kahili and for the meat. Forests and grasslands were cleared away to build villages, farms, towns, homes, and roads. The nene's habitat was disappearing. Hunters did not understand the nene's life cycle, they shot the nene during the winter (when they were nesting). Animals they brought with them ate the plants the nene fed on. So the nene went to higher land, where food was hard to find. Their numbers slowly decreased.
The nene was listed in the endangered species by the U.S. federal government in 1967. Now it is against the law to hunt nene geese. Conservationists rounded up a group of adult nene which were put in a large fenced grassland area. There, they were safe from predators. The adult nene were bred and put in separate small grassland areas to make their nests. Conservationists planted plenty of food inside the fenced areas. Soon the population had multiplied. After one year of age, the goslings were separated from there parents, who were set free. The goslings were kept and bred. Now the population has reached about 500-800 nene in the wild.
References
Nene, by Marion Coste, University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu.
Hawaii's Birds, Hawaii Audubon Society, Honolulu.
Hawaii's Vanishing Birds, Aloha from Hawaii, Internet.
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