The nēnē or Hawaiian goose is the state’s bird yet is only found on four of the eight Hawaiian Islands. The goose almost became extinct during the 1950s when only 30 birds remained. Thanks to aggressive conservation efforts, the population significantly increased. Today, there are about 2,000 Hawaiian geese in the wild so they are still considered endangered. The bird’s black head crest and body feathers resemble a Canadian goose. The neck has distinctive diagonal stripes.
