What Is The State Bird Of Hawaiʻi?
Nēnē were declared the official state bird of Hawaiʻi in 1988, 29 years after Hawaiʻi became a state. Prior to this, nēnē were designated the official bird emblem of the Territory of Hawaiʻi.
The 29th Territorial Legislature wrote:
“The nēnē was chosen because it is neat, beautiful, indigenous to Hawaii, and one of the rarest species of birds in the world.”
