NenePhotos, Pictures, Prints

View nene photos, license nene stock pictures, and buy stunning nene prints by award winning professional photographer Jon Cornforth. To license an image for editorial or commercial use, click on the License Image button and fill out the form. To purchase a fine art print, select your image size and presentation style before clicking on the Buy Print button.

Branta sandvicensis

The Nene (Branta sandvicensis), is a species of goose endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It shares a recent common ancestor with the Canada goose (Branta canadensis). The official bird of the State of Hawaii, this goose lives only on the islands of Maui, Kauai and Hawaii. Its h1 toes display much reduced webbing, which is an adaptation for walking in lava rock. Unusual and flightless, it is the world’s rarest goose.

This bird was once common. However, hunting and introduced predators such as mongooses, pigs, and cats reduced the population to 30 birds by 1952. That said, the species breeds well in captivity, and has been successfully re-introduced.

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