Environment
After Centuries Away, the Endangered Nene Goose Returns to Oahu
Hawaii's state bird hadn't been seen on the island since the 1700s.
The nene goose — an earth-toned lava-flow-walker known for murmuring "nay nay" — is Hawaii's state bird. But you wouldn't know that living on Oahu, which according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hasn't seen a nene for centuries.
That's suddenly changed: Oahu's nene population is up from zero to at least five. A pair of the endangered birds have been spotted raising fluffy goslings at the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, about a 40-mile drive north of Honolulu. And boy, their wings must be tired, as there's no indication that they were put there by people, reports the Associated Press: