Kiwis are being returned to the hills around Wellington after more than a century without the birds in the area, following a citizen-led effort known as the Capital Kiwi Project. Multiple outlets report that the reintroduction is now showing signs of success, with Wellington receiving its 250th relocated kiwi as part of the program’s ongoing work to restore New Zealand’s national bird to habitat where it has been absent. The articles describe the effort as an improbable but growing campaign by local residents and supporters to bring back the flightless, sacred national bird. They also note the broader context for kiwi conservation in New Zealand, including that the species is endangered and that the current national population is far smaller than it was historically. One report references that kiwi numbers fell dramatically after human settlement and estimates that only around 70,000 kiwi remain in the country today, compared with much larger populations before that period. Together, the sources depict the Wellington reintroduction as both a local conservation milestone and part of wider efforts to protect and rebuild kiwi populations across New Zealand.