The face, cap, bill, and feet are black. The buff colored feathers of the neck are so heavily furrowed that the neck appears to have wavy black stripes. Their feet have much less webbing than those of most other waterfowl.
Sexes are very similar in appearance, though the males are slightly larger.
The Nene is the official State Bird of Hawaii. Nene are found only in the Hawaiian islands. The wild population was reduced in this century to two remnant populations on the big island of Hawaii. Reintroduction is being attempted in the Haleakala Crater area on Maui and a small population that began with escaped birds is becoming established on Kauai. Nene are unique among geese in that they are not normally observed near water.