Hwamei

Hwamei (畫眉)
China (2011)
14th December, 2012. Tianhe East, Guangzhou

Hwamei, is an endemic bird to South-east China area, as its sing, people in this area mostly like to be fed them as a pet, the bird is very common to see in local bird markets. Above traditional drawing was reproduced from the original drawing Greetings with Southern Branch in Qing dynasty, is related to a Hwamei singing in southern springtime.

Macaws

From left to right :

Scarlet Macaw (緋紅金剛鸚鵡) ; Military Macaw (軍艦金剛鸚鵡)
Yellow-crowned Gonolek (非洲黑鵙)
Guyana (1993/2002)
18th March, 2013. Philatelic Bureau
19th March, 2013. Georgetown

Macaw is a type of parrot lives in New World, which native from Central America to South America, especially in rain forest. They mostly in large size and having colourful feather, for example as below maxicards, Hyacinth Macaw in blue colour and the eyes with yellow frame ; Red-and green Macaw is in reddish head and green body. Those sharp colour with long tail attracted many people be their pets. As result, many native macaws are caught for illegal animal trade and their quantity decrease immediately.

Guyana is in the north-east of Amazon Forest, the country to be found couple of macaw species. Here are 4 of them shown above covers and maxicards are examples.

Hyacinth Macaw (紫藍金剛鸚鵡)
Guyana (1993)
18th March, 2013. Philatelic Bureau

Red-and-green Macaw (綠翅金剛鸚鵡)
Guyana (1993)
18th March, 2013. Philatelic Bureau

Loons and grebes

From left to right :
Red-throated Loon (紅喉潛鳥) ; Horned Grebe (角鸊鷈)
Great Crested Grebe (鳳頭鸊鷉) ; Black-throated Loon (黑喉潛鳥)
Åland (2013)
5th April, 2013. Mariehamn

After many years, Åland issued new WWF stamps again, this time feature 4 loons and grebes commonly to be found in this small islands. I decided order a FDC from the philatelic bureau, but sadly the shame Hongkong Post once again damaged this beautiful (and quite expensive) FDC.

Birds of Montserrat

Antillean Common Gallinule 黑水雞 (安的列斯群島亞種)
Montserrat (2009)
21st March, 2013. Brades

I think most of people don't know where is Montserrat, however if you collect stamp, you may known that there is a British Overseas Territory in the Leeward Islands. And of course not only the geographic detail, most of people known that the territory joint with IGPC issues huge of quantity of stamps to earn money from philatelists. However in today, which country don't issue money for money?

These two maxicards feature the 2009 Birds of Montserrat stamps, the stamps not in good quality as only printed in Taiwan, but they look fine, at least in my opinion. Above species indicated in stamp is Common Moorhen, which is commonly to be found in the world, however some American biologist split sub-species in New World into individual species in few years called Gallinule. So Antillean Common Gallinule now is a sub-species to Common Gallinule.

Western Cattle Egret (黃頭鷺)
Montserrat (2009)
21st March, 2013. Brades

Abyssinian Woodpecker

Abyssinian Woodpecker (金背啄木鳥)
Ethiopia (1998)
9th April, 2013. Addis Ababa

Abyssinian Woodpecker is an endemic species of Ethiopia and Eritrea, but it doesn't endanger as it widely to be found in west of Eritrea and north of Ethiopia, mostly highland of these two countries. The male looks as well as the stamp as above and female only in grey colour.

Only Ethiopia issued Abyssinian Woodpecker stamp in the world and above is one in a set of 23 definitive stamps, when all of them are in same illustration. Please note the registration label using in Addis Ababa is having two versions, one is UPU-standard as above and bearing 'Ethiopian Post' name in below envelope.

Coffee Ceremonies (咖啡禮儀)
Ethiopia (2011)
26th March, 2013. Addis Ababa

Birds of prey in Burundi

From left to right :
400F : Easter Lily (麝香百合) ; 350F : Sunflower (向日葵)
3000F : Lappet-faced Vulture (皺臉禿鷲) ; 3000F : Martial Eagle (猛雕)
1000F : Palm-nut Vulture (棕櫚鷲)
Burundi (2002, 2011)
13th February, 2013. Bujumbura

In 2011, Burundi totally issued 40 stamps feature bird, it is kindly thanks to Stamperija, who won the agency service to Burundi stamp. However as you think, Stamperija not only issue bird but they also shame to issue variety theme, either they are related to Burundi or not, luckily some of them still selling in Burundi, a small country in central Africa. Above cover shown three these Stamperija stamps, those species are to be found in Burundi, the illustration look oddly as they through computer rendering. The two flower stamps, seem look like other country stamps, was printed in Tunisia.

In Africa, as the rich of biodiversity, many birds of prey are easy to be found in there. Those three species as above are active in sub-Sahara area except the forest of Congo.

Qing dynasty embroidery

From left to right :
(1) Unidentified peacock ; (2/3) Siberian Crane (西伯利亞白鶴) and Crested Myna (鳳頭八哥)
(4) Asian Paradise Flycatcher (壽帶鳥) ; (5) Mandarin Duck (鴛鴦)
Taiwan (2013)
20th March, 2013. Nanhai Post Office, Taipei

In Qing dynasty, decorated embroidery mostly used to decorate the central hall of a house for a wedding or other celebratory occasion,especially those embroidery in red silk. Above stamps feature Qing dynasty lateral curtain with flower and bird embroidery which is a collection of the National Museum of History, is an example show how the beauty of ancient Chinese art. Many of birds are embroidered, however some of birds are can't identify due to people consider the beauty of the bird in this period, by the way those birds are on behalf of luckily to Chinese culture.

Together with individual stamp, an embossed silk souvenir sheet was issue as below, it also features three unidentified peacocks in gold colour.

Unidentified peacock

Taiwan (2013)

20th March, 2013. Nanhai Post Office, Taipei