Nēnē-nui facts for kids

The nēnē-nui was a type of goose that lived long ago in the Hawaiian Islands. Its name means "great nēnē" in the Hawaiian language. People also called it the woodwalking goose. This amazing bird lived on Maui and possibly other islands like Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Molokaʻi.

Scientists know about the nēnē-nui from many subfossil bones. These bones were found in caves from the Holocene period. Thousands of bones from many different birds have been discovered.

How the Nēnē-nui Evolved

The nēnē-nui, along with the nēnē we see today, came from the Canada goose. Canada geese flew to the Hawaiian Islands a long time ago. They slowly changed to fit their new tropical home.

Scientists can see this change by looking at their genes and how they look. For example, Canada geese have black necks. The nēnē-nui and the nēnē have buff-colored necks with dark stripes.

The geese changed because they stopped migrating long distances. Their home also changed, which made their wings and skulls different.

What the Nēnē-nui Looked Like

No one knows exactly what the nēnē-nui looked like. But it was probably similar to its living relative, the nēnē. Most Branta geese share similar feather colors.

The nēnē-nui was usually about 5% bigger than the nēnē. However, its wing bones were about 5% shorter. Some nēnē-nui had very small wings.

Becoming Flightless

The nēnē-nui was in the middle of becoming a bird that couldn't fly. Scientists found many bones showing this change. Some birds could still fly a little, while others had very small wings and couldn't fly at all.

This is special because it shows how a species can lose the ability to fly over time. Usually, we only see the final result. It's thought that the nēnē-nui and the nēnē might have still bred together sometimes. This could have kept the nēnē-nui in this "in-between" stage for longer.

Where Else They Lived

A skeleton of a similar bird was found on Kauaʻi. Many more were found on Oʻahu. These Oʻahu birds seem to be a mix between the nēnē-nui and the nēnē. Scientists are still studying them.

No nēnē-nui bones have been found on Molokaʻi. But the places where old bird bones are found there are very dry. Water birds like geese would not usually live in such dry areas.

Why the Nēnē-nui Disappeared

The nēnē-nui became extinct soon after people settled the Hawaiian Islands. This happened to many other animals on Pacific islands during the Holocene period. Many other native Hawaiian birds, like the Moa-nalo ducks, also disappeared around the same time.