Nene, Haleakala National Park, Maui
NENE. What a lovely Name! Probably a descendant of Canada Goose. Who, at some point in the past, decided to fly over Pacific Ocean. A LONG, LONG TRIP! Canada Goose is used to fly over long distances. But never over large expanses of water. Why did she do it? A mistake? An adventure? We will never know. But she landed safely and made Hawaiian Islands her Home. Adapting and Living in peace for many, many millennia until... and then somehow barely surviving tumultuous times with humans. For ALL of THAT, She is awarded the Title: The State Bird of Hawaii. And still critically endangered.