50 Lei Red-breasted goose

Moldova's National Bank has issued a consistent run of wildlife conservation coinage since the early 2000s, typically timed to coincide with international migratory bird protection agreements under the Ramsar Convention and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement. The Red-breasted Goose — Branta ruficollis — breeds exclusively in Siberia and funnels through a narrow Black Sea corridor each autumn, making Moldova and the Romanian Danube Delta critical stopover zones.

Global population estimates have hovered around 50,000–60,000 individuals, with the species listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2008.