Hawaii’s state bird is the Nene, a species of goose native to this group of islands. A land bird typically found in grassy areas, these geese can be seen in the wild at Volcanoes National Park, along with some other parks in the State. They can also be viewed in captivity at the Honolulu Zoo.
Male and female Nene have the same markings, but male Nene tend to be a bit larger. Both have black faces with light brown cheeks, a brown, black, grey and white patterns throughout their plumage.
Although Nene were nearly hunted into extinction, recent conservation efforts have been very successful. Today, there are small but growing populations of Nene living on Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.
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