Description
This 2016 $20 fine silver coin features a vibrant selectively coloured image of an American Avocet, that celebrates the centennial of landmark conservation measures introduced at the 1916 Migratory Birds Convention. The coin is struck in just over one ounce of 99.99% fine silver, with mintage limited to 6,500 worldwide.
HST/GST exempt.
The Design:
The design features an American Avocet on its approach to a shallow marsh. In the background are rolling foothills, a row of cottonwoods, and grasses gently swaying in the breeze. One of the shorebird’s legs skims the water as it prepares to land. Selective colour adds definition to the bird, with a cinnamon coloured neck and head, bold black and white back and wings, and blue-grey colouring on the long legs that allow it to wade through the shallow waters.
The American Avocet:
This avocet has long, thin, blueish grey legs, giving it its more common name, “blue shanks”, with bold black and white pattern on its back, and a white belly. The neck and head are cinnamon coloured in the summer and grey in the winter. The long, thin bill is upturned at the end, which it uses to swing through the water to scoop up food. The adult bird measures 43–47 cm in length, with a wingspan of 72 cm, and can weigh from 275–350 grams. In response to predators, the American Avocet sometimes issues a series of call notes that gradually change pitch, making its approach seem faster than it actually is. They usually lay 1-4 eggs, with the chicks leaving the nest within 24 hours after hatching. Day-old avocets can walk, swim, and dive to escape danger.
