Nene  (Branta sandvicensis)

Description

The nene, or Hawaiian goose, was adopted as the official bird of Hawaii in 1957 (4). It is similar in appearance to the Canada goose although only the face, crown and back of the neck are black whereas the front of the neck is a golden-buff colour and the cheeks are tinged with ochre (5). Nene also have striking black diagonal furrows running the length of their neck and these contrast with the lighter-coloured plumage (2). Both sexes have identical plumage and, unusually amongst geese, the feet are only partially webbed (4) (6). Another unusual feature of the nene is the relatively long legs, which enable it to run and climb over very rugged terrain (such as lava fields) and to walk without the typical waddle of other geese (2).

left