Canadian Birds on Bank Notes
Canada’s ‘Bird Series’ banknotes, issued between 1986 and 1991, beautifully merged currency with the nation’s rich avian wildlife and features striking images of ospreys, snowy owls, and pine grosbeaks.
An interesting collection of Canadian paper money began in the late 1980s. Introduced in 1987, a $1 CAD denomination coin would replace the $1 CAD bill as a cost-saving measure. This coin would be known very quickly as the Loonie because it bore an image of a loon, a popular bird from the north. Loons are seen less in the United States but are much more numerous in Canada because they like privacy in the wilds. After the 1989 $2 CAD note was issued, no more $2 CAD notes would be produced. Instead, another Loon would decorate a $2 CAD coin and be known as a Toonie.
The last $2 CAD note was printed with two robins on the reverse. The robin is well-loved in Canada and indicates spring to many communities. Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth was on the obverse of the note. This portrait was much more attractive than the first Queen Elizabeth note of 1954.
The $5 CAD note would carry a portrait of Sir Wilfred Laurier. Issued in 1986, the back of this note was a Belted Kingfisher sitting on a branch with hills in the background. The Belted Kingfisher is a common bird among streams and shorelines across North America.
The $10 CAD note, issued in 1989, has Sir John A. MacDonald on the obverse. An osprey was on the back of the note, harvesting a fish over a large body of water with its wings spread wide. Ospreys are birds of prey that are expert fishers.
The $20 CAD note with Queen Elizabeth on the obverse was issued in 1991. On the reverse, a loon is swimming in what appears to be a small lake.
The $50 CAD note sports the snowy owl, a bird that favors the cooler regions of northern Canada and visits the United States during very cold spells. The bird prefers open spaces and is often seen in airfields, where it is quite unwelcome as it complicates air traffic. The obverse of the $50 CAD note features Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King.
The $100 CAD note also features a former prime minister, Sir Robert Borden, on the obverse. The reverse carries a Canadian goose in flight. We see this bird in vast numbers in the United States as it migrates south every winter and is a game bird hunted by many during its travels.
The final bird note in the series, the $1,000 CAD note, was issued in 1988. Like the $2 CAD and $20 CAD bills, the face carries the same vignette of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. The reverse carries two pine grosbeaks. Pine grosbeaks belong to the finch family and are very plump and heavy-chested.
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