Montserrat's national bird nearly vanished entirely in 1995 when the Soufrière Hills volcano erupted and destroyed roughly two-thirds of the island, eliminating most of the oriole's remaining forest habitat. The population crashed to somewhere between 100 and 500 individuals. Subsequent conservation efforts, including habitat protection in the Centre Hills, have brought numbers back to a fragile but monitored recovery.
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank issues these one-ounce gold pieces under Montserrat's name despite the ECCB serving eight territories — each member state periodically receives its own themed issue within the series.
Montserrat's national bird nearly vanished entirely in 1995 when the Soufrière Hills volcano erupted and destroyed roughly two-thirds of the island, eliminating most of the oriole's remaining forest habitat. The population crashed to somewhere between 100 and 500 individuals. Subsequent conservation efforts, including habitat protection in the Centre Hills, have brought numbers back to a fragile but monitored recovery.
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank issues these one-ounce gold pieces under Montserrat's name despite the ECCB serving eight territories — each member state periodically receives its own themed issue within the series.