Hawaii Volcanoes National Park officials are urging motorists to slow down and watch out for endangered nene birds after one of the animals was killed there. 

Park officials said a female nene was killed early Friday morning along Chain of Craters Road inside the park. 

Park officials said Monday in a news release that the bird’s mate was still near the site. The pair was preparing to nest. 

The park has placed nene crossing signs on roads where birds are known to congregate or cross, and where vehicles most frequently hit and kill the birds. 

Park wildlife biologist Kathleen Misajon said it’s imperative that drivers use caution in all nene crossing zones. 

The nene is the state bird. There are only about 2,000 of them in the wild.