Found on every continent except Antarctica, the owl is a mostly solitary and nocturnal bird of prey comprising 200 different species. Its eerie call, squat body and disproportionately large, staring eyes, which are forward-facing rather than on the side of its head, make the owl one of our most idiosyncratic and distinctive birds.

The eighth coin in the Austrian Mint’s best-selling glow-in-the-dark Colourful Creatures series, The Owl is as distinctive as the magnificent bird itself. One side of the coin features the silhouette of all 12 animals in the series; the other shows a colour-applied image of an Owl that glows in the dark.