goose named for its call

The “goose named for its call” you’re looking for is the nēnē (usually written “nene”), the Hawaiian goose.

Quick Scoop

• The nene is Hawaii’s state bird and a rare goose found mainly on the islands of Hawaiʻi, Maui, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Molokaʻi.

• Its name “nene” comes from its soft, nasal call, which sounds like “nay-nay” or “neh-neh,” so it’s literally a goose named for its call.

• Crossword fans will recognize it because “NENE” is a common 4-letter answer clued as “Goose named for its call” in major puzzles, including the New York Times.

Why it’s in the news / puzzles now

• The clue “Goose named for its call” appeared again in a February 14, 2026 New York Times crossword, which is why “goose named for its call” is trending among crossword and word-game communities today.

• Puzzle-help websites and blogs have fresh posts explaining that the correct fill is NENE , reinforcing it as the go-to answer for this clue.

Fast facts about the nene

• Species: Hawaiian goose, a type of Branta goose related to the Canada goose.

• Name origin: Onomatopoeic—Hawaiian name imitating its gentle, conversational call.

• Status: A conservation success story; once critically endangered, now recovering thanks to intensive protection and captive breeding, so it shows up in nature and conservation discussions as well as puzzles.

Mini story angle

Imagine a shy island goose with a quiet, conversational “neh-neh” voice, soft enough that early Hawaiians named it after that sound. Generations later, that same gentle call has turned the nene into a tiny legend in the crossword world, where solvers see four empty boxes and instinctively hear that soft “neh-neh” in their heads as they pencil in N-E-N-E.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.