Nēnē Population Dynamics
Current Status of Nēnē Populations
Population Data Sources
Data Source
All population data presented are compiled by the Nēnē Recovery Action Group (NRAG). The NRAG is a collaborative effort of wildlife biologists and land managers working to protect and restore Nēnē populations.
Citation: Nēnē Recovery Action Group (NRAG). (2026). Hawaiian Goose Statewide Population Estimate, 2025.
Population Overview
Total Population
4,323
Comparison between 2014 and 2025 (NRAG)
Hawaiʻi Island
1,070
-203 from 2014(-15.9%)
Kauaʻi
2,643
+1790 from 2014(+209.8%)
Maui
580
-283 from 2014(-32.8%)
Molokaʻi
30
-27 from 2014(-47.4%)
Oahu
0
-4 from 2014(-100.0%)
Methodology
Population Tracking Methodology
The Nēnē Recovery Action Group (NRAG) compiles annual statewide nēnē counts from federal, state, and NGO partners. Each island team uses its own approach. National parks track individual birds year-round and treat a bird as likely deceased after two consecutive years without a sighting. Outside the parks, counts come from direct observations of banded and unbanded birds during annual or biannual surveys. There was no NRAG estimate for 2024. The 2025 Maui figure is reported island-wide rather than broken into HALE, Hanaula/West Central, Piiholo/Upcountry, and South Maui, because birds now move freely across the island.
Population Trends by Island
Explore how nēnē populations have changed across different Hawaiian islands over the past decade. Click on the island names to show or hide their data.
Source: Nēnē Recovery Action Group Population Estimates