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Articles

Vol. 40 No. 1 (2009)

EGG RETRIEVAL BY THE HAWAIIAN GOOSE AFTER ATTEMPTED PREDATION BY A CAT

Submitted
November 27, 2025
Published
January 1, 2009

Abstract

The Hawaiian Goose or Nēnē (Branta sandvicensis), Hawaii’s only extant endemic goose, was nearly extirpated by hunting, habitat loss, and depredation by introduced predators and is among the most threatened of waterfowl. By the 1950s, the wild population was estimated at only about 30 individuals (Smith 1952). Captive propagation programs, reintroductions, and continuing predator control have resulted in increased populations, particularly on Kauai. Currently, populations of the Hawaiian Goose exist on the islands of Kauai, Maui, Hawaii, and Molokai. Listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1967 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1967), Hawaii’s wild population is currently estimated to be around 2000 individuals (Ann Marshall pers. comm.). Predator control is essential for the recovery of this species. Here we report an attack by a feral cat on a Hawaiian Goose nest and the first documented egg retrieval by the Hawaiian Goose.

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