REVIEW BOOK II

Reintroduction of the Nene

Release captive-bred individuals into the wild to restore wild populations

2,150 captive-bred birds were released in Hawaii and Maui, USA, starting in 1949. Unfortunately this had not resulted in a self-sustaining wild populationMortality rates were lower in the lowest-altitude release site

Birds released into temporary exclosures before fledging survived better than older birdsMost captive-bred birds are released as juveniles, as adults may have become too conditioned to life in captivity.Birds released into temporary exclosures with their wings clipped survived less well than those released into the wild before fledging Overall there were 473 goslings raised across 515 nests recorded

Release of birds as juveniles, as opposed to adults

IUCN status: Near Threatened

In the late 18th century. Nēnē were hunted to feed whaling ships and new settlers. During the plantation era in the 19th and 20th centuries huge swaths of habitat were destroyed and more predators including mongoose were introduced. By 1950 the nēnē population had collapsed with less than 30 nēnē estimated to be living in the wild, all on Hawai‘i Island.

Threats and justification

The 2022 annual nēnē population survey estimated 3,862 statewide with 2,430 of those birds on Kaua‘i.

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