Birds of Canada (banknotes) Birds of Canada (banknotes) Birds of Canada are banknotes of the Canadian dollar first circulated by the Bank of Canada in 1986 to replace the Scenes of Canada series. Each note features a bird indigenous to Canada in its design. The banknotes weigh 1 gram with dimensions of . It was succeeded by the Canadian Journey Series introduced in 2001. This was the first series to omit the $1 banknote, which was replaced by the $1 coin known as the loonie in 1987. It was the last series to include the $2 and $1,000 banknotes. The $2 note was withdrawn
Coins of the Canadian dollar had previously been in limited circulation. The dies were lost or stolen in November 1986, requiring a redesign. The new coin is colloquially called the "loonie", for the common loon on its reverse, and the name is frequently applied to the currency unit as well. It is made of nickel-plated with aureate bronze. The $2 coin, carrying a polar bear, was introduced in 1996. It is usually called the "toonie" and is bimetallic. The $2 banknote was withdrawn at the same time that the coin was released. Unlike several U.S. attempts to introduce a dollar coin, the new coins were