A new commemorative coin from the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) is to feature the rare and indigenous cahow.

The Currency division of the BMA consulted with noted local ornithologist Dr. David Wingate while selecting the image of the bird to be featured on the coin.

Alan Cossar, chairman of the Authority's board of directors, presented Dr. Wingate with a coin and thanked him for "the outstanding work he has done over a 40-year period to bring Bermuda's national bird back from the brink of extinction".

The cahow, unlike the more ubiquitous longtail that adorns the quarter, is among the rarest seabirds on earth and was considered extinct for centuries.

Collectors can purchase the one ounce silver proof Bermuda Petrol (Cahow) coin for $85 and the ½0 ounce gold proof for $120, subject to the market price of gold.