1 July 2009
The Nene, or Hawaiian Goose, population fell to only 30 birds in 1951 suggesting a grim future for this most unique and charming of geese. However, thanks to Sir Peter Scott, this species was given a much needed lifeline and saved from extinction through WWT’s conservation work and remarkable captive breeding programme. Through the successes of this programme, WWT was able to release back into the wild the first Slimbridge-reared Nene in 1962, marking the start of the recovery of the world’s Nene population. Almost 50 years later, the Nene has become one of WWT’s oldest and most famous success stories.
An icon is born
In 1957 the Nene was named as Hawaii’s State Bird. When you look at them you can easily understand why: cute, attractive and friendly; very few can resist their charm. In many ways, Nenes are everything that you would not associate with a goose. They are much smaller and more placid than their distant cousin, the Canada Goose and walk more upright. Their legs are also stronger and longer and they have less webbing between their toes. Nenes rarely fly and are perhaps unique among geese for spending little time on water.
The reluctance to fly means that many of these peculiarities have evolved to make the Nene ideally suited to life on the volcanic islands of Hawaii. Here flowing freshwater can be in short supply, although they do retain the ability to swim. Nenes have an eclectic taste and will eat grasses, seeds and berries, favouring native species but will still eat introduced vegetation. Their more upright posture allows them to reach food further out of reach, and the reduced webbing makes them able to climb shrubs to reach even more berries. It is from the berries, together with dew, that Nenes are able to find water to drink.
Did you know?
The smaller webs of the feet are better for walking on crusted lava flows whilst the strong legs make traversing rugged terrain much easier.
A family business
Nenes build their nests on suitable grassland, lining the nest with down. Pair formation is life-long where the same pair will revisit the same site if it proves successful; such sites range from beside golf courses to islands of vegetation between active lava flows. Raising the goslings is then a family business with the female doing the incubating and the male looking after her. When the eggs hatch, the goslings learn the best food and grazing techniques from both parents and the family tends to stay together until the start of the next breeding season. The males are slightly larger than the females but are otherwise identical. The juveniles tend to be duller with a more discernable brown-tinge on the head and neck.
Confined to three of the larger Hawaiian islands, the Nene population is currently estimated to be around 1,000 birds. To put things in perspective, an estimated 25,000 Nenes were indigenous to the islands when colonisers began to settle in the late 1700s. By 1951, this had plummeted to 30 as extinction beckoned. Fortunately, captive breeding programmes in Hawaii and by WWT in Slimbridge have seen the population increase slowly. Sir Peter Scott recognised their plight and brought the first geese back to Slimbridge in 1950. The adaptability of the species meant that between 1962 and 1969, 200 Nenes were taken back to Hawaii from the successful captive breeding programme, and more have followed.
A population under threat
However, the Nene’s future is still not secure. Being non-migratory, the population has a very small range of only 1,910 km2. And although highly adapted to life on a volcanic island, the spread of human activity is rapidly crowding them out. Nenes are now a protected species meaning that hunting the birds and their eggs is no longer the massive threat it once was. The loss of habitat is now a major problem as breeding sites disappear through urban sprawl. Introduced predators such as rats, cats and mongooses, pose another major threat, while fatal collisions with vehicles are becoming more common too.
Did you know?
The Nene has the smallest range of any goose species in the world.
Another 50 years…
The population may appear stronger than it was 50 years ago, but it is certainly not yet stable. Research shows that first-year mortality remains high indicating that the population still requires active habitat management to create grassland reserves that are free from dangers. The conservation programme implemented by the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has recently been extended to implement this management. The support received from adopting a Nene will contribute towards monitoring the population in Hawaii as well as to the continued captive breeding at our centres. Talk to anyone that has been able to spend time with a Nene and you cannot fail to notice the affection within which these birds are held. With your help, let us hope that this charming little goose is still with us in another 50 years, exuding the qualities that are uniquely Nene