2 Dollars - Elizabeth II New Zealand Pigeon

The New Zealand pigeon, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae, was once harvested in such quantities by Māori and early European settlers that population collapse seemed inevitable by the late nineteenth century. Strict protections were eventually enacted under New Zealand law, though the Cook Islands had no direct jurisdiction — making this a purely commemorative choice rather than a conservation policy statement. The species remains legally protected and cannot be kept, sold, or killed under New Zealand's Wildlife Act 1953.