Hey Nene!
After exploring for bats, we decided to sleep in again and go birding. Today we wanted to find the State bird of Hawaii. Off to meet a goose.
Hawaiian Goose Fun Facts:
- The Hawaiian goose is also called the Nene- named after their soft call.
- They grow up to 16 inches tall and weigh up to 6 3/4 lbs.
- They are herbivores. They eat seeds, grasses , fruit and flowers.
- Nenes evolved from the Canada Goose.
- Males are slightly larger than females.
- There were only 32 birds in 1952. With great conservation efforts, their populations have been raised to 1000 birds.
- They are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
We had a fun time on Maui meeting these rare species. It is with great care that they have been a success story. We hope their population continues to grow.
The Adventures of Ellie and Edmond 
“There were only 32 birds in 1952. With great conservation efforts, their populations have been raised to 1000 birds.” Wow that is incredible!