KAHULUI, MAUI - On Sunday, two nene born and raised on Maui were killed by cars in separate incidents. Endangered Nene are Hawai‘i’s State Bird.

One of the birds was part of a pair that witnesses report were being fed by someone in a stopped car on Amala Place in Kahului. The other nene was hit near the air cargo bypass of the airport.

Active nesting pairs, with goslings, have already been seen in the Kahului area. It is unknown if these deaths are from any pairs with recently hatched goslings. Many nene nest and feed around the waters of the Kanaha Pond State Wildlife area, which is circled by busy urban roads and highways. Drivers have the rare privilege of being able to spot native wildlife on daily commutes, but that comes with the responsibility of driving with aloha around our unique and endangered species.

This is the time of year that young nene pair up, form life-long bonds, and explore to find room and nesting sites away from other pairs. Nene are powerful flyers but have difficulty dodging speeding cars, because as large birds they need a ‘runway,’ a longer flight path than smaller birds.

People who feed these wild animals endanger them because the birds learn to associate food with cars. DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) biologists remind everyone that feeding protected wildlife is illegal.