1 Dollar - Elizabeth II 4th Portrait, Apteryx Rowi Kiwi

The Ōkārito kiwi — Apteryx rowi — was recognised as a distinct species only in 2003, separated from the more common brown kiwi on the basis of genetic and morphological differences. By that point, fewer than 400 individuals remained in the wild, confined almost entirely to the Ōkārito forest on the South Island's West Coast. New Zealand's kiwi recovery programs, including the Haast Kiwi Sanctuary, have brought numbers up incrementally, but the species remains endangered. Collector issues like this one have been used by the Reserve Bank to fund and publicise conservation efforts directly.