Hawaii officials urge visitor caution during nene nesting season

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is one of the last places where visitors can see the nene or Hawaiian goose, a species endemic to the island and the state’s official bird.

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Image by geofiz / CC BY 2.0

Park officials are asking motorists to drive carefully during the nene nesting season, in which the birds feed more frequently during the dawn and dusk and often blend into the park’s foliage. They also remind visitors not to approach or feed the nene, which can quickly become habituated to hand-outs from people. In 1952, the nene’s official numbers had fallen to just 30 birds, but a conservation effort brought the species back from near-extinction. There are now over 250 nene in the park today. Read more: travelweekly.com