Hawaii had only 200 of these birds left. Now more than 1,500 have returned

Imagine a bird that was so close to extinction that there were only a few hundred left in the entire world. But then hardwork of scientists and magic of innovation brought them back in large numbers and the same bird is now thriving across parts of its native habitat decades later. That remarkable comeback is that of the aeʻo, or Hawaiian stilt, a graceful, long-legged shorebird whose recovery is now being hailed as one of Hawaii’s conservation success stories. According to reports, after more than 50 years of habitat restoration and wildlife management, the aeʻo has reached a major milestone on its journey to recovery. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reclassified the bird from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act.