Hawaii/Big Island: Nene Geese
The Nene goose, also known as the Hawaiian goose, is the state bird of Hawaii and is considered one of the world’s rarest geese. It has a distinctive appearance with a black face and crown, buff-colored cheeks, and a brownish body. It is strictly endemic to only five islands n Hawaii, including the Big Island. Based on fossil DNA, Hawaiian geese are closely related to the giant Canada goose, and are thought to have migrated to the Islands over 500,000 years ago and then developed feet suitable for walking on rugged lava rocks. When Captain James Cook arrived in the Hawaii in 1778, his naturalists noted that the geese were quite common. But hunting, and predators like mongooses, pigs and cats, reduced the nene population to just 30 birds by 1952. The goose has since been bred back from the brink of extinction and re-introduced into the wild. Today, with 2,500 birds in the wild, it is still the rarest goose in the world and the sixth rarest waterfowl.
