“The sihek (Todiramphus cinnamominus) was once endemic to the forests of Guam, an island in the western Pacific that is today a U.S. territory. The accidental introduction of the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) in the 1940s devastated the island’s native wildlife, including many local birds whose eggs were eaten by the snakes.
A rescue operation in the 1980s brought 29 birds into captivity. These individuals formed the foundation of a breeding program that has kept the species alive for the past 35 years, even as the sihek was declared extinct in the wild by 1988.
Finally, on Sept. 23, 2024, six young sihek were released from their temporary aviaries into the lush forests of Palmyra Atoll, a predator-free sanctuary about 5,900 kilometers (3,700 miles) east of Guam.”
From Mongabay.