September
27, 2008 - Hilo, HI - Governor
Linda Lingle proclaimed September
26, 2008, to be "Nene Awareness
Day" in the state of Hawaii.
The nene, or Hawaiian Goose,
is recognized as the official
bird of the state of Hawaii.
It is endemic to the Hawaiian
Islands, and gets its name from
the sound of the call it makes.
It is often referred to as the
world's rarest goose, with less
than 2,000 still living.
The pair in this video was filmed
along the Waiakea Fishpond at
Hilo's Wailoa River State Park.
Although the nene is rebounding
from near extinction, the bird
still faces peril in the form
of introduced predation, loss
of habitat, and hazards of the
Big Island's highways.
The Nene Preservation and Awareness
Society of Hawaii, the Department
of Land and Natural Resources
and the Division of Forestry
and Wildlife are sponsoring
public awareness campaigns in
the hope of assisting the rare
bird.
