Over the last 17 years, 442 nene (Hawaiian goose) have been released throughout the Hawaiian Islands through the Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program. Our nene breeding program played a vital part in the conservation success for a species whose population was down to only 40 birds in the 1940s. With current wild population estimates around at 2,500 birds split between the islands of Kauai, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii, the breeding program was halted in 2011.

For me, the only downside of this success is no longer raising the gorgeous nene goslings, which were a highlight of working at the Maui Bird Conservation Center (MBCC). So it was a great delight when a pair of familiar nene came back to establish a nest site this January on our facility’s grounds. The male and female hatched here in 2004 and 2005 respectively and were both released into the wild here on Maui.

One can only imagine where and when this couple “fell in love,” but this is not their first nesting attempt at MBCC. The pair attempted a nest last year and laid two eggs, but one egg disappeared, and the pair abandoned the nest after the second egg was mysteriously moved quite a distance away. This season, the pair chose a more protected location and laid three eggs in a nest surrounded by the calls of the `alala and kiwikiu (Maui parrotbill). After 30 long days of anticipation, the pair successfully hatched out three perfect goslings!

For the next six days, the pair did a wonderful job keeping the goslings safe and warm, and we enjoyed being hissed away by the protective parents. But, hoping to minimize habituation to humans, we asked personnel from the State of Hawaii to translocate the family to a safe haven in a pre-release pen at the Piiholo Ranch where the goslings can grow, flourish, and eventually take flight over Maui.

We are thankful for the nene coming back to nest, and we hope to see them again next year!

Amy Kilshaw is a research associate at the San Diego Zoo’s Maui Bird Conservation Center. Read her previous post, Full House at Maui Bird Conservation Center.