Some endangered Hawaiian nene birds establishing nesting locations are picking places popular with human beings, prompting temporary closures of a few recreational areas.
Haleakala National Park officials Thursday announced the closure of the Hosmer Grove campground and trail after sighting a family of nesting nene.
Park spokeswoman Polly Angelakis said Hosmer Grove will be reopened after the family is moved to an area away from the campground.
"We apologize for any inconvenience to campers, but we have to protect the nene," she said.
On Wednesday, Maui County announced it was closing its rifle range at Ukumehame in West Maui because of a nene goose nest in the area.
County spokesman Rod Antone said the state Department of Land and Natural Resources recommended the closure.
Antone said the rifle range would be closed while the nene continues to lay its eggs.
State wildlife biologist Stephanie Franklin said there were two eggs in the nest near the rifle firing range Monday and that the female was still laying eggs.
According to the county, state conservation officials estimated it will take about a month and a half before the eggs hatch and the nene are able to be relocated or leave on their own.
Franklin said moving the eggs in the nest now would put the eggs at risk.
"Relocating them causes the adults a lot of times to abandon the nest," Franklin said.
Angelakis said decisions to move nene birds are done on a case-by-case basis.
She said the birds at Hosmer’s Grove are close to a road that could pose a hazard to the nene.
She said nene birds tend to return to the same nesting areas, and park officials don’t want to establish nesting areas near campgrounds and trails.
"That’s why we want to move them away as soon as possible," she said.
The nene, or Branta sandvicensis, is making a comeback from 30 in the 1950s to a population of between 2,450 and 2,550, according to scientists.
The nene grows as tall as 23 to 28 inches and weighs between 4 and 5 pounds.
It has less webbing in its feet and stands more upright than Canada geese.
"They’re the rarest goose on Earth," Angelakis said.
