Alternative Name: Nene
- Branta sandvicensis
Identification
56–71 cm (22-28 in)
- Black head
- Buff cheeks
- Black bill, legs and feet
Female is slightly smaller
Distribution
Hawaii. Limited to the islands of Maui, Kauai and Hawaii
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Traditionally they were found on lava flows with sparse vegetation. Now they seem to prefer pastureland.
Behaviour
Breeding
Female builds nest from scrape in the ground with a raised perimeter made of excavated soil, leaves, small twigs, and other litter. Clutch is usually two to four white eggs, with occasional larger clutches from egg dumping.
Diet
They have a mainly vegetarian diet, consisting of berries, grass, herbs and leaves.
Vocalisations
Similar to those of Canada Goose, but quieter.
Movements
Mostly sedentary, but some altitudinal movement noted.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Carboneras, C. & Kirwan, G.M. (2020). Hawaiian Goose (Branta sandvicensis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/52820 on 22 January 2020).
- Banko, P. C., J. M. Black, and W. E. Banko (1999). Hawaiian Goose (Branta sandvicensis), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.434
- BirdLife International 2017. Branta sandvicensis (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T22679929A112386209. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22679929A112386209.en. Downloaded on 22 January 2020.
- Pratt, H.D., Bruner, P., and Berrett, D.G. (1987) A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press
- Pyle, R.L., and P. Pyle. 2017. The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status. B.P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI, U.S.A. Version 2 (1 January 2017) http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2023) Hawaiian Goose. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 5 December 2023 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Hawaiian_Goose
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
