How To Draw A Nene Bird

Species of bird

Nene

At Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Hawaii, United states of america
Conservation condition
Near Threatened (IUCN iii.i)^[1]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)^[two]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Social club:	Anseriformes
Family:	Anatidae
Genus:	Branta
Species:	B. sandvicensis
Binomial name
*Branta sandvicensis* (Vigors, 1833)
Synonyms
Nesochen sandvicensis Branta sandwichensis

The nene (Branta sandvicensis), also known as the nēnē or the Hawaiian goose, is a species of bird owned to the Hawaiian Islands. The official bird of the country of Hawaiʻi, the nene is exclusively found in the wild on the islands of Oahu,^[3] Maui, Kauaʻi, Molokai, and Hawaiʻi.

The Hawaiian name nēnē comes from its soft call.^[4] The specific name sandvicensis refers to the Sandwich Islands, a former name for the Hawaiian Islands.^[five]

Taxonomy [edit]

The holotype specimen of Anser sandvicensis Vigors (List Anim. Garden Zool. Soc., ed.3, June 1833, p.iv.) is held in the vertebrate zoology drove at World Museum, National Museums Liverpool, with accession number NML-VZ T12706.^[6] The specimen was nerveless from the Sandwich Islands (Hawaiian Islands) and came to the Liverpool national drove via the Museum of the Zoological Club of London collection, Thomas Campbell Eyton's collection, and Henry Baker Tristram'southward drove.

It is thought that the nene evolved from the Canada goose (Branta canadensis), which most probable arrived on the Hawaiian islands well-nigh 500,000 years ago, presently subsequently the island of Hawaiʻi was formed. This ancestor is the progenitor of the nene likewise as the prehistoric giant Hawaiʻi goose (Branta rhuax)^[7] and nēnē-nui (Branta hylobadistes). The nēnē-nui was larger than the nene, varied from flightless to flighted depending on the individual, and inhabited the island of Maui. Similar fossil geese found on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi may exist of the same species. The behemothic Hawaiʻi goose was restricted to the island of Hawaiʻi and measured 1.2 m (3.9 ft) in length with a mass of eight.six kg (19 lb), making information technology more than than four times larger than the nene. Information technology is believed that the herbivorous giant Hawaiʻi goose occupied the same ecological niche as the goose-similar ducks known equally moa-nalo, which were non present on the Big Island.^[viii] Based on mitochondrial Deoxyribonucleic acid found in fossils, all Hawaiian geese, living and extinct, are closely related to the giant Canada goose (B. c. maxima) and dusky Canada goose (B. c. occidentalis).^[7]

Description [edit]

The nene is a medium-sized goose at 41 cm (16 in) tall. Although they spend well-nigh of their time on the footing, they are capable of flight, with some individuals flying daily between nesting and feeding areas. Females take a mass of one.525–ii.56 kg (three.36–v.64 lb), while males boilerplate 1.695–iii.05 kg (3.74–half dozen.72 lb), eleven% larger than females.^[9] Adult males take a black head and hindneck, vitrify cheeks and heavily furrowed neck.^[10] The neck has black and white diagonal stripes.^[x] Aside from being smaller, the female Nene is like to the male in colouration. The developed'southward neb, legs and feet are black. It has soft feathers under its chin. Goslings resemble adults, but are a duller brown and with less demarcation between the colors of the caput and cervix, and striping and disallowment furnishings are much reduced.

Nene gosling on Kauai

Habitat and range [edit]

The nene is an inhabitant of shrubland, grassland, littoral dunes, and lava plains, and related anthropogenic habitats such as pasture and golf game courses from sea level to every bit much every bit 2,400 yard (7,900 ft).^[11] Some populations migrated between lowland convenance grounds and montane foraging areas.^[12]

The nene could at one time be institute on the islands of Hawaiʻi, Maui, Kahoʻolawe, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi. Today, its range is restricted to Hawaiʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi, and Kauaʻi. A pair arrived at the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oʻahu in January 2014; 2 of their offspring survived and are seen regularly on the nearby golf game courses at Turtle Bay Resort.

Ecology and behavior [edit]

Convenance [edit]

The breeding flavour of the nene, from Baronial to Apr, is longer than that of any other goose;^[xiii] most eggs are laid between Nov and Jan.^[9] Unlike most other waterfowl, the nene mates on land.^[x] Nests are built past females on a site of her choosing, in which i to five eggs are laid (average is 3 on Maui and Hawaiʻi, iv on Kauaʻi). Females incubate the eggs for 29 to 32 days, while the male person acts as a sentry. Goslings are precocial, able to feed on their own; they remain with their parents until the following breeding season.^[9]

Nutrition [edit]

The nene is a herbivore that will either graze or scan, depending on the availability of vegetation. Food items include the leaves, seeds, fruit, and flowers of grasses and shrubs.^[xi]

Conservation [edit]

The nene population stands at two,500 birds, making information technology the earth's rarest goose.^[xiv] It is believed that information technology was one time common, with approximately 25,000 Hawaiian geese living in Hawaiʻi when Captain James Cook arrived in 1778.^[10] Hunting and introduced predators, such as small Indian mongooses, pigs, and feral cats, reduced the population to 30 birds past 1952.^[10] The species breeds well in captivity, and has been successfully re-introduced. In 2004, information technology was estimated that there were 800 birds in the wild, as well as one,000 in wildfowl collections and zoos.^[x] There is business concern about inbreeding due to the small initial population of birds. The nature reserve WWT Slimbridge, in England, was instrumental in the successful breeding of Hawaiian geese in captivity. Under the direction of conservationist Peter Scott, it was bred back from the brink of extinction during the 1950s for afterward re-introduction into the wild in Hawaiʻi. In that location are still Hawaiian geese at Slimbridge today. They can now be found in captivity in multiple WWT centres. Successful introductions include Haleakala and Piʻiholo ranches on Maui.^[15] ^[16]

References [edit]

^ BirdLife International (2021). "Branta sandvicensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: eastward.T22679929A194369606. doi:10.2305/IUCN.U.k..2021-3.RLTS.T22679929A194369606.en . Retrieved 1 Jan 2022.
^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org . Retrieved 2022-01-14 .
^ "Nene geese on Oahu for first time since 1700s". Hawaii News Now. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
^ Pukui & Elbert (2003). "Lookup of nēnē". Ulukau, the Hawaiian Electronic Library. University of Hawaiʻi. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
^ Jobling, James A. (1991). A Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. OUP. ISBN0 19 854634 3.
^ R. Wagstaffe (1978-12-01). Type Specimens of Birds in the Merseyside Canton Museums (formerly City of Liverpool Museums).
^ ^a ^b Harder, Ben (6 February 2002). "Country Bird of Hawaii Unmasked every bit Canadian". National Geographic News. National Geographic Guild. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
^ Ziegler, Alan C. (2002). Hawaiian Natural History, Environmental, and Evolution. University of Hawaiʻi Press. p. 260. ISBN978-0-8248-2190-6.
^ ^a ^b ^c Reading, Richard P.; Miller, Brian (2000). Endangered animals: A Reference Guide to Conflicting Problems. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 142–146. ISBN978-0-313-30816-ane.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^eastward ^f Ellis, Richard (2004). No Turning Back: The Life and Death of Animal Species . New York City: Harper Perennial. pp. 280–281. ISBN0-06-055804-0.
^ ^a ^b "Nene or Hawaiian Goose" (PDF). State of Hawaiʻi. 25 March 2005.
^ Banko, Paul C.; Black, Jeffrey Yard.; Banko, Winston Due east. (1999). "Hawaiian Goose (Branta sandvicensis)". In A. Poole (ed.). Birds of North America Online. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Retrieved 18 March 2009.
^ "Hawaiian Goose (Branta sandvicensis)". Audubon Watchlist. National Audubon Society. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2009.
^ "Nene Pictures Showing this Highly Endangered Goose Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands". Marine Wild fauna Photography.
^ "Safe Harbor Agreement for the introduction of the nene to Piiholo Ranch, Maui" (PDF). Country of Hawaii, Section of Land and Natural Resources. August 2004. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
^ Standley, Bill (August 2004). "Ranchers Accelerate Recovery of Rare Hawaiian Bird". Environmental Defense Fund. Archived from the original on 24 January 2011. Retrieved thirteen January 2010.