⭕️Endangered Seabirds

Antipodean Albatross (安島信天翁)
New Zealand (2014)
25th September, 2014. Whanganui

New Zealand’s unique marine environment is home to a diverse range of seabirds, giving New Zealand the title of ‘seabird capital of the world’. Five of our most endangered seabirds are featured on this unique stamp issue that uses thermochromic ink to reflect the disappearing nature of these precious birds.

Antipodean Albatross is a large albatross that breeds almost exclusively on the Auckland and Antipodes Islands. They are masters of low-energy flying and forage over the contintental shelf edge and deep water areas.

Restricted to the Chatham Islands as their name suggests, this large black and white shag, is a conspicuous bird along the rocky coastlines. Colonies and roost sites are located on rocky headlands and islets and there is one colony in the Te Whanga Lagoon.

Black-billed Gulls are strongly colonial and breed predominantly on braided rivers from the coast to the headwaters. The species is found throughout New Zealand but is most common east of the southern divide in the South Island and in Southland.

Chatham Island Shag (查島鸕鶿)
New Zealand (2014)
25th September, 2014. Whanganui

Black-billed Gull (黑嘴鷗)
New Zealand (2014)

25th September, 2014. Whanganui

⭕️Children's health 2011

North Island Brown Kiwi (北島褐鷸鴕)
New Zealand (2011)
6th July, 2011. Whanganul

Takahe (南秧雞)
New Zealand (2011)
6th July, 2011. Whanganul

Kakapo (鴞鸚鵡)
New Zealand (2011)
6th July, 2011. Whanganul

At the same day of Niue's issue, New Zealand Post issued their long-term charity series. This time, it features three endangered flightless species which are endemic to small areas of New Zealand. In the meantime, post office issued a irregular souvenir sheet in Takahe shape.

North Island Brown Kiwi only endemic to variety areas of North Island, and also some offshore islands near North Island. The species was a subspecies of Common Kiwi (大奇威鳥) before 2000. Afterwards it separated into 3 species include Okarito Kiwi (歐卡里托鷸鴕), which named in 2003. North Island Brown Kiwi is the first time appeared on stamp and now population about 5.000 birds.

Takahe, formally called South Island Takahe, to divide North Island Takahe (短翅水雞) which has been extincted in New Zealand. In 1898, the biologist assumed South Island Takahe was extincted, but it be rediscovered in the Murchison Mountains on 1948. Now only near 230 birds remain inhabiting in some off-shore islands of South Island.

Kakapo also has its own interesting story, it has been shown in 2009, a WWF issue of New Zealand.

Kakapo - it has been near extinct

Kakapo (鴞鸚鵡)
New Zealand (2005)
8th October, 2009. Te Anau, Fiorldland

Nowadays, near 110 kakapos are living in Chalky Island and Anchor Island, where are located in Fiordland National Park, the largest conservation area in New Zealand. Kakapo is one of original resident in New Zealand since pre-history, and it lost flying ability as there did not have main preys. Before the colonisation of there by Polynesian and European, kakapo is widely to be found in both north and south Islands, afterwards the population were largely decreasing to it become endanger species when the pets come with these colonial. In 1890, governor of New Zealand began to conserve this species, unfortunately this action was not successful, during the year of 1990 to 1995, only estimate 50 birds to be found in protection areas and they were facing danger by wild cats and other invasive species. Until 2005, all of kakapos moved to four special islands where all invasive species are cleaned, the population were increasing back to nowadays quantity.

Fiorldland National Park is in the south-west of the South Island, just near the largest lake in the island Lake Te Anau and the town Te Anau. Another famous endangered species Takahe (南秧雞) also to be found in this area.

Above cover affixed with whole set WWF Kakapo issue sent from Te Anau, features with New Zealand Demoiselle (紐西蘭鯛) and Kotukutuku (倒掛金鐘) stamps, which issued on 1979 and 1999.

** Remind you that this post, and all old posts related to WWF thematic, are also specially post on WWF special page. Please kindly visit there, thank you.