It's been 150 years but last weekend 40 saddleback birds were back in Taranaki - the result of two sanctuaries working together.
The birds had been bred at Wanganui's Bushy Park reserve and on Saturday about 250 people gathered at Lake Rotokare east of Eltham to celebrate the release of the red and black tieke.
Bushy Park Trust member Allan Anderson was at the release and said it was a "very big day" for the Wanganui trust and the Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust. The birds are descendants of the original 40 tieke moved to Bushy Park eight years ago.
Today there are an estimated 350 birds at the sanctuary north of Kai Iwi.
Mr Anderson said a key to the birds' survival is the predator-proof fences around the perimeter of both reserves.
"Without it they just wouldn't make it." he said.
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