More than 250 kiwi have returned to the hills around Wellington after an absence of 150 years. The birds are back thanks to a community-led effort.

Iwi and local volunteers drove the project. AP News reported the citizen campaign returned the iconic birds to New Zealand’s capital region.

Kiwi had not lived wild around Wellington for over a century. Predator control and habitat work made the return possible.

Mongabay covered the milestone as a win for community conservation. The birds are now breeding in the hills.

For Wellingtonians, hearing kiwi calls at night is a sound not heard for generations. It is back.

The National Indigenous Times reported more than 250 kiwi returned through the community project. E-Tangata covered the return of the manu whenua.

Stuff and AP News covered the citizen campaign’s success. The return marks the first wild kiwi near the capital in over a century.

Conservationists call it one of the decade’s best comebacks.