A Southern California woman was surprised to find a flock of four rare geese in her backyard. A wildlife expert told KCAL that the bird the woman found in her yard was a Nenes goose, one of the rarest geese in the world. Part of the reason people are surprised is that the Nene goose is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and is the state bird of Hawaii. The tiny flock of birds was discovered by a resident of Huntington Beach, California. birds, which are now at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center. Dawe said he never expected to care for the rare goose breed. When the call came in about geese showing up in a woman’s yard, we were surprised, not only because these birds are native to Hawaii, but also because they are rare. There are about 50 individuals and they are on the verge of extinction. Through conservation efforts, there are currently an estimated 3,800 Nenes in the wild. Despite their increase in numbers, the Nenis remain a vulnerable group. “In fact, when I first got the call and said there was a possibility of five Nene and a hybrid coming here, I thought, well, this might just be a Nene that looks alike, not The real Nenes, it wasn’t until they got here that I realized like, yes, they were indeed Nenes. “It was so shocking because they shouldn’t be in California at all,” KCAL reported. A woman in her 90s who lives in the high desert of California had Nenes as pets but could no longer care for them. Years old, staff at the center said they may end up in the hospital.
A Southern California woman was surprised to find a flock of four rare geese in her backyard. A wildlife expert told KCAL that the bird the woman found in her yard was a Nenes goose, one of the rarest geese in the world.
Part of the reason people are surprised is that the Nene goose is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and is Hawaii’s state bird. The small group in question was discovered by a resident of Huntington Beach, California.
The wildlife expert at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center was as shocked as she was to see the Nenis.
Wildlife technician Jaret Davey is caring for the birds, which are now at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center. Dawe said he never imagined caring for such a rare goose.
“If you asked me to predict that we would be in the top 1,000 birds at the center, Nenis wouldn’t even be close to that list, so that’s very exciting,” Dawe told KCAL.
When the center received a call about geese in a woman’s yard, people were surprised, not only because the birds are native to Hawaii but also because they are rare.
According to a report by KCAL, the Nenis bird’s population dropped to about 50 birds in the 1950s and was on the verge of extinction. Through conservation efforts, there are currently an estimated 3,800 Nenes in the wild. Although their numbers have increased, the Nenis remain a vulnerable group.
“Yes, yes, we were very surprised,” said Debbie McGuire of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center. “In fact, when I first got the call and said there was a possibility of five Nene and a hybrid coming here, I thought, well, this might just be a Nene that looks alike, not The real Nenes, I didn’t realize until they got here that it was like yes, they were indeed Nenes.
“It’s very shocking because they shouldn’t be in California at all.”
So how did these birds end up in Southern California?
In the state, owning rare birds requires a special permit. Wildlife experts at the center said a woman in her 90s who lives in California’s high desert had kept the Nenis as pets but could no longer care for them, KCAL reported.
The Nenes are about 17 years old, and center staff said they may end up going to a zoo or aquarium.
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