Nene  (Branta sandvicensis)

Range

Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, today the nene is most commonly found in and around Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii Island and in Haleakala National Park on Maui. A large and growing population also occurs in lowland grass pastures on the island of Kauai (4), and nene have recently been reintroduced to the island of Molokai (7).

View a distribution map for this species at UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Habitat

Nene are adaptable and opportunistic in terms of habitat use; found historically on rocky, sparsely vegetated, high volcanic slopes but primarily nesting in lowland habitats (2). Preferred habitat today is pastureland adjacent to natural shrubland (5), although efforts are being made in the national parks to restore native plants species and communities that may have been important to nene before habitats were disturbed by introduced ungulates and other threats (7).

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