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Spectacled Owl
A spectacled owl adorns the front of this Suriname 2000 25,000 Gulden note. Unmistakable in appearance, spectacled owls look like they are wearing glasses, or “spectacles” because of the rimmed feathers around their eyes. They live in dense rainforests in the Neotropics but are known to venture into drier forests and savannas. Don’t scare one off if you find it near your property — they love to eat small rodents, such as mice, and can help with pest control!
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Burrowing Owl
Unlike other owls, burrowing owls are more active during the morning and early afternoons. Their namesake speaks to their unusual habitats — instead of roosting in trees, burrowing owls repurpose burrows made by badgers, foxes and other similar animals to make their nests. A common burrowing owl is featured on the front of this Aruba 1993 50 Florin note.
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Snowy Owl
The snowy owl is the avian emblem of Quebec, chosen for the province’s northern (and chilly) climate. Interestingly, snowy owls are migratory birds that frequent areas close to the Arctic and have rarely been seen migrating further south. Similar to burrowing owls, snowy owls make their nests on the ground but prefer high points and good visibility instead of the covered environment of a burrow. A snowy owl is predominantly featured on the back of this Canada 1988 50 Dollars note.
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Morepork Owl
This New Zealand 1981-1992 50 Dollars note offers a stunning view of a morepork owl on its reverse. Morepork and little owls (or German owls) are often mistaken for each other, but moreporks are slightly bigger and are native to New Zealand, while little owls were brought over to control the sparrow population. Three distinct subspecies of morepork owls have been classified, but unfortunately one is extinct.
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Seychelles Scops Owl
The Seychelles scops owl (or just the Seychelles owl) is a rare scops owl species that can only be found in specific areas of Seychelles. Unfortunately, these beautiful owls are critically endangered due to the clearing of their habitats and the introduction of invasive species, including rats, cats and barn owls. A Seychelles scops owl is featured on the back of this Seychelles (2005) 500 Rupees note to promote conservation efforts for the species, which has only just started to repopulate.
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Serendib Scops Owl
Sri Lanka’s most recently discovered bird, the Serendib scop owl, was identified in 2001 in Sinharaja and formally described as a new species in 2004. It mostly hunts moths and other insects close to the ground at night. “Scops” means “to see” in Greek, a name that was given to the scops owl species for its large round eyes and its ability to turn its head to see even behind itself.
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Eagle Owl
Featured on this Switzerland 1987 50 Francs note is an eagle owl, one of the largest species of owl in the world. Females can grow to be 30 inches tall, with a wingspan of more than 6 feet! Eagle owls are known to inhabit much of Europe and Asia, being one of the most widely distributed species of owl in the world. They have also been seen in Africa, the United Kingdom and in the northern Middle East.
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Austral Pygmy Owl
The austral pygmy owl is found in southern Chile and neighboring Argentina. A small gray-brown owl, pygmy owls are known for being one of the smaller owl species. They hunt insects and small animals during the daytime and are often seen roosting in trees scattered around farmland and thickets. An austral pygmy owl is depicted on this Chile 2009-2021 5,000 Pesos note.
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Australian Masked Owl
In 2020, Australia introduced a new 100 Dollars note that features an Australian masked owl on its front. The small owl in the top-left corner has a rolling color effect which makes the note nearly impossible to counterfeit. Additionally, another masked owl is featured in the center of the note. This owl glows under UV light, providing another security feature to the note.
