Hawaiian Nene
by Phil Welsher
Title
Hawaiian Nene
Artist
Phil Welsher
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The nene also known as the Hawaiian goose, the official bird of the state of Hawaiʻi, is a species of goose endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiian name nēnē comes from its soft call.
The Nene has endured a long struggle against extinction. During the 1940s, this beautiful species was almost wiped out by laws which allowed the birds to be hunted during their winter breeding seasons when the birds were the most vulnerable.
By 1957, when the Nene was named as Hawaii’s State Bird, rescue efforts were underway. Conservationists began breeding the birds in captivity in hopes of preserving a remnant of the declining population and, someday, successfully re-establishing them in their native habitat.
Early programs for returning captive-bred birds to the wild proved difficult, but recent efforts have been very successful. There are now small but stable populations of Nene on the islands of Hawai’i, Maui, and Kaua’i.
Uploaded
May 5th, 2017
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