HONOLULU 鈥� The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service are asking the people of Hawai驶i to be respectful of n膿n膿 (Hawaiian goose) in the wild. N膿n膿 are the Hawai驶i state bird and federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
N膿n膿 were once found on nearly all the Hawaiian Islands; however, habitat loss, predation by non-native animals, disease, and human disturbance decimated n膿n膿 populations. By 1950 it was estimated that less than 30 n膿n膿 remained in the wild.
N膿n膿 have made strides towards recovery in recent years and were federally downlisted from endangered to threatened in 2019. N膿n膿 can be found on Hawai驶i Island, Maui, and Kaua驶i, with Kaua驶i accounting for 60% of their population. The 2022 annual n膿n膿 population survey estimated 3,862 statewide with 2,430 of those birds on Kaua鈥榠.
Since, 2003, Sept. 26 has been observed as N膿n膿 Awareness Day in Hawai驶i. It helps serve as a reminder that even though n膿n膿 populations have rebounded in recent years n膿n膿 still need a lot of help.
The people of Hawai驶i can help n膿n膿 by:
Being responsible pet owners.
- Spay or neuter cats and keep them in doors.
- Keep dogs on leashed when hiking trails.
Do not feed n膿n膿.
- Feeding n膿n膿 conditions them to be unafraid of humans and makes them more vulnerable to impacts of human activities.
- These activities include vehicle and golf ball strikes, as well as possible disturbance by hikers, hunters, and other outdoor recreationists.
- Nene may also be impacted by human activities through the application of pesticides and other contaminants, ingestion of plastics and lead, collisions with stationary or moving structures or objects, entanglement in artificial hazards.
- Feeding feral cats can also attract n膿n膿 to areas with a higher flow of human traffic.
Drive slowly in known n膿n膿 areas.
- Vehicle collision it the leading cause of death for adult n膿n膿. When driving through parks or areas where n膿n膿 are known to gather, drive slowly and keep a look out for n膿n膿 that may be crossing the street.
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov/pacificislands, or connect with us through any of these social media channels at , , or .
