Extinct Hawaiian Geese with a Nēnē

One of dozens of original paintings by Julian P. Hume housed at the Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C.).

On a visit to the Smithsonian in October 2003, Helen James & Storrs Olson showed us several wonderful paintings of an artist depiction of extinct Hawaiian subfossil avifauna. The truth is, however, that no one alive really knows what they actually looked like. But, Julian does a great job of bringing the bones to life with his world class paintings!

Helen & Storrs allowed me to take photographs with the condition that they not be shown publicly until published. The photos were finally published in "Extinct Birds of Hawaiʻi" (2016) by Michael Walther and generously illustrated by Julian P. Hume.

This comparison painting shows a scaled reconstruction of extinct Hawaiian geese with nēnē (far right).
From left to right:
+ Giant Hawaiian goose (Branta sp.), Hawaiʻi Island; extinct
+ Kauaʻi Turtle-jawed goose (Chelychelynechen quassus), Kauaʻi; extinct
+ Maui nui moa-nalo (Thambetochen chauliodous), Maui, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi (Maui Nui); extinct
+ Oʻahu moa-nalo (Thambetochen xanion), Oʻahu; extinct
www.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/5121400716/in/photolist-...
+ Stumbling moa-nalo (Ptaiochen pau), Maui
+ Greater Hawaiian goose or Nēnē-nui (Branta hylobadistes), Maui and possibly Oʻahu and Kauaʻi; extinct
+ Nēnē or Hawaiian goose (Branta sandvicensis), exant on Kauaʻi, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island

Helen working
www.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/30645181485/in/photostream/

Helen & Storrs
www.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/30012540014/in/photostream/

Some rights reserved

Taken on: October 29, 2016

Tags:

Giant Hawaiian goose

Kauaʻi Turtle-jawed goose

bird

moa-nalo

Chelychelynechen quassus

Kauaʻi

extinct

Maui nui moa-nalo

Thambetochen chauliodous

Maui

Lānaʻi

Molokaʻi

Maui Nui

Oʻahu moa-nalo

Thambetochen xanion

Stumbling moa-nalo

Ptaiochen pau

Greater Hawaiian goose

Nēnē-nui

Branta hylobadistes

Nēnē

Hawaiian goose

taxonomy:binomial=Branta sandvicensis

taxonomy:binomial=Chelychelynechen quassus

taxonomy:binomial=Thambetochen chauliodous

taxonomy:binomial=Thambetochen xanion

taxonomy:binomial=Ptaiochen pau

taxonomy:binomial=Branta hylobadistes

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