Page 30 - MIN ECEM

A13
Monday 23 october 2017

Aruba’s National Bird, Prikichi, Featured on New Colorful Silver Coin

By MICHAEL ALEXANDER 100 grams, and is known
ORANJESTAD - The Central for its beautiful feathers
Bank of Aruba issued a new that shine in different col-
silver crown-size coin in ors of green. They live scat-
October which celebrates tered in natural environ-
the island nation’s national ments over the island and
bird — the “prikichi.” Re- swarm with hundreds of
sponding to a concerted species creating distinc-
effort and request by Aru- tive and recognizable lev-
ban Bird Conservation, the els of bird noise over the
Council of Ministers of Aru- Aruban landscape, usually
ba approved a proposal while building their nests in
to declare the prikichi Aru- termite hops to breed their
ba’s national bird on the 7th eggs. A well-known Aruban
February 2017. proverb is, “Komehein ta
traha kas pa prikichi buta
Of the 249 species of bird aden,” which literally trans-
so far recorded on Aruba, lates to: “The termite makes
only two are endemic sub- its nest so that the parakeet

species (birds which are can put its own eggs in it.”
native only to Aruba and The coin is produced by the
nowhere else in the world), Royal Dutch Mint on be-
those being the shoko (Aru- half of the Central Bank of
ban burrowing owl) and Aruba and depicts the little
the prikichi (Aruban para- bird in full color perching
keet). atop a cactus, where they
The shoko (Athene cunicu- are often seen.
laria arubensis) was de- The reverse includes the
clared a national symbol in Aruban crest in the centre
2012, and now the prikichi of the design, the year of is-
(Aratinga pertinax aruben- sue, and the denomination
sis) has become the na- of 5 FLORIN.
tional bird of Aruba. This re- This is Aruba’s only collec-
cent move is expected to tor coin issued for 2017 and
boost awareness of nature is produced in very limited
on Aruba and help to en- quantity. It is presented in
sure that these birds do not a custom case with a cer-
disappear from the Aruban tificate of authenticity. For
landscape. more information on this
The prikichi, or Aruban and other coins issued by
maize parakeet, has a the Aruban Central Bank,
length of 25 centimeters, please visit the website of
weighs between 90 and the Royal Dutch Mint.q