What is a nene?
The Hawaiian Goose or Nēnē is a species of goose endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The official bird of the State of Hawaii, the Nēnē is exclusively found in the wild of the islands of Maui, Kauai and Hawaii. The Nēnē gets its Hawaiian name from its soft call. The species has a black head, buff cheeks and heavily furrowed neck. Bill, legs and feet are black. The female Hawaiian Goose is similar to the male in coloring but slightly smaller. Its strong toes have much reduced webbing, an adaptation to the lava flows on which it breeds. It mates on land unlike most other wildfowl. This is the world’s rarest goose.
