AUSTIN, Texas — Austin has plenty of bats, but one in particular has made its way back to the city after getting a makeover.

An abstract, aluminum sculpture of a bat in flight called “Nightwing” has returned to its home with a new paint job. The nearly 30-year-old piece by artist Dale Whistler was temporarily removed from its place in front of the YETI flagship store in early March for restoration with Manchaca Metals.

The artwork serves as an homage to the city’s beloved bat colony, which is one of the largest in North America. About 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats live under the Congress Avenue Bridge.

Visitors come from all over the world to see the bats take flight after sundown, watching from the bridge or getting a view from below on a paddleboard or boat tour. The attraction brings the city up to $10 million every year, according to Texas Parks & Wildlife, and has earned it the nickname “Bat City.”

And they aren’t just fun to look at. Bats are natural pest control, with their diet consisting of insects like fruit flies, beetles and weevils. They’re also pollinators, helping transfer pollen and allowing plants to reproduce.

Large numbers of bats began roosting Austin's Congress Avenue Bridge in the 1980s. “Nightwing” was commissioned by Downtown Austin Alliance in 1998 to commemorate the popular flying mammal.

The alliance funded the sculpture's full restoration.