8,10L, 5L : Eastern White Pelican (白鵜鶘)
3,60L, 9,10L : Dalmatian Pelican (卷羽鵜鶘)
Romania (2015)
25th April, 2016. Voluntari
In each year, Romfilatelia recalls the richness of the natural heritage of Romania by introducing into circulation a postage stamp issue dedicated to the species of pelicans living in their country, as part of a broader topic consecrated to protected wildlife from Romanian reserves. In 2015, The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, it developed on 1990 and as known as Delta Dunării in Romanian is the only delta in the world entirely declared a biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991, it shelters an impressive number of pelicans from both species, these birds being declared a natural monument, the stamp series in 2015 shown two pelican species: the Great White Pelican and the Dalmatian Pelican.
Great White Pelican is not an endangered species in this moment, it mostly is migratory bird but exception is some pelicans are resident living in western India and indiviual sub-Sahara area whole year. The pelicans widely to be found in sub-Sahara area’s savannas, also north-west and east parts of India during non-breeding seasons. In each early-summers, the pelicans migrates to north, they mostly breeding in eastern Europe to central continental of Euroasia, Danube Delta is one of important area for breeding, in each breeding season up to half of population of whole pelicans to be found here.
Another pelican shown in this stamp set is Dalmatian Pelican, it seems familiar to Hong Kong stamp collectors, as it has apperered on the bird definitive stamps issued on 2006. Not same as Great White Pelican, the conservation status of Dalmatian Pelican now is near threatened, it is because the species’ numbers dramatically declined during the 20th century. Most reasons are living area be encroached and disappered, disturbance and poaching activities. Although most of its population survives in Russia, some of them can be found in Mongolia range. However Dalmatian Pelican also can be divided to resident and migratory bird separately, they breeding in central continental of Euroasia and migrate to northern part of Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, and also Nile Delta in non-breeding seasons. Danube Delta not only the important area for passage pelicans and it is rear settlement of resident pelicans, there is recorded estimated about 550 nesting pairs.
The margin of the souvenir sheet emphasizes the 25-year anniversary since the foundation of the reserve and its belonging to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
