No, No, Nēnē! 8075
I'm working on my first draft of my next book. It's about this bird, the Hawaiian Goose, also known as the Nēnē. It's closest living relative is the Canada Goose, from which it diverged some one half million years ago. At about the time the island of Hawaii was rising up out of the sea, a group or wayward geese was blown off course and into the Pacific. They ended up on the Hawaiian Islands, and never left. Finding a perfect climate, there was no longer any need to migrate. Eventually, they lost the need for strong flight wings. The rocky, lava laden coasts were more difficult to navigate on foot, so they developed stronger legs and toes, and although they can swim, they rarely do so. As a result, the webbing between their toes has become much less pronounced. At one time they were plentiful, but human migration to the Hawaiian Islands, along with alien predators we brought with us, decimated their populations. By 1952 it was estimated that there were less than 50 birds left in the wild. Since then, massive conservation efforts have brought the species back from the brink of extinction. In 1957, the Nēnē was named Hawaii's State bird. The species that almost caused their extinction have turned out to also be their saviors. It isn't a battle that has been won, however. As a result of the changes that mankind inflicted upon the Hawaiian Islands, these conservation efforts will have to be maintained if Nēnē are to survive, long term. #iLoveNature #iLoveWildlife #WildlifePhotography in #Hawaii #Nature in #America #USA #Nēnē #HawaiianGoose #WildlifeConservation #Canon #Bringit #DrDADBooks #NWF #NRDC #Photography #Picoftheday #Photooftheday
No, No, Nēnē! 8075
I'm working on my first draft of my next book. It's about this bird, the Hawaiian Goose, also known as the Nēnē. It's closest living relative is the Canada Goose, from which it diverged some one half million years ago. At about the time the island of Hawaii was rising up out of the sea, a group or wayward geese was blown off course and into the Pacific. They ended up on the Hawaiian Islands, and never left. Finding a perfect climate, there was no longer any need to migrate. Eventually, they lost the need for strong flight wings. The rocky, lava laden coasts were more difficult to navigate on foot, so they developed stronger legs and toes, and although they can swim, they rarely do so. As a result, the webbing between their toes has become much less pronounced. At one time they were plentiful, but human migration to the Hawaiian Islands, along with alien predators we brought with us, decimated their populations. By 1952 it was estimated that there were less than 50 birds left in the wild. Since then, massive conservation efforts have brought the species back from the brink of extinction. In 1957, the Nēnē was named Hawaii's State bird. The species that almost caused their extinction have turned out to also be their saviors. It isn't a battle that has been won, however. As a result of the changes that mankind inflicted upon the Hawaiian Islands, these conservation efforts will have to be maintained if Nēnē are to survive, long term. #iLoveNature #iLoveWildlife #WildlifePhotography in #Hawaii #Nature in #America #USA #Nēnē #HawaiianGoose #WildlifeConservation #Canon #Bringit #DrDADBooks #NWF #NRDC #Photography #Picoftheday #Photooftheday