Pied Avocet

Pied Avocet (反嘴鷸)
Hongkong (2003)
20th October, 2007. Santin
20th October, 2007. International Mail Centre, Kowloon
22nd October, 2007. Shatin

A beautiful species widely lives in European and northern Asia, specially features a thin and long upturned bill. In winter most of birds will migrate to Africa and southern Asia, include Hongkong. It can easily be found in wetlands, water ponds and lacks, in Hongkong they mostly live in the fish ponds located in north-west of New Territories like Santin, Yuen Long and Tinshuiwai.

The postcard shown famous Belgian artist Hub. Dupond's illustration of male and juvenile of Pied Avocet, he clearly illustrated its features, however the stamp not shown the colour of legs correctly which compare with the postcard.

Doves of Polynesia

L : Marquesas Pigeon (馬克薩斯皇鳩) ; R : Rapa Island Fruit Dove (拉帕島皇鳩)
French Polynesia (1995)
30th June, 2009. Mahina (Philatelic Bureau)
1st June, 2009. Mahina, Tahiti

These two endangered doves are small population endemic to French Polynesia. Rapa Island Fruit Dove lives inthe tiny island of Rapa in the Tubuai Islands, only about 270 samples has been recorded in 1990 and amount still decreasing until now. Perhaps it is because the birds lack of food, the situation changes little bit after introduced of the Chinese Guava (草莓番石榴).

Marquesas Pigeon is endemic to Nuku Hiva of Marquesas Islands, only 85 birds have been found and the population was estimated at 250 on 1998. In 18th century the bird can be found in the Society Islands of Tahiti, and fossil found in the Southern Cook Islands and Henderson in the Pitcairn Islands. Now this species becomes stable, the population increased by 28% in the 2006 and it is anticipated to reach 50 individuals by 2010.

Beside these two dove stamps, above cover also features the Polynesian tattoo, a folk arts painted on human skin. And the plant Night-blooming Cereus (曇花), origin planted in Brazil and Mexico.

Art of Turkey

L : European Roller (藍胸佛法僧) ; R : Waldrapp (隱䴉)
Turkey (1976)
13th July, 2009. Pasaport, Ízmir

Thanks A. Demír sent me many beautiful covers with his own illustrations, here is one example of his works. This cover features four stamps and two of them are birds, they are European Roller and Waldrapp. Wild life waldrapps are live in northern Morocco and Turkey, these two groups of waldrapps don't have any touch, and the population of northern Morocco group only recorded 500 birds currently but no more of Turkey one recorded after 1992.

More than 300 years ago, waldrapp was begining disappear from Austria to whole Europe. But as religion reason of Muslim thought the bird can guild them to Mecca, area of Birecik of Turkey kept 500 pairs of waldrapp in 30's year of last century, however it decreased to only one before bleeding season in 1990 but it dead afterward. Now the place feeds couple of birds humanly, they are free except bleeding season of autumn. Nowadays, except those 500 birds live in northern Morocco, there are have 1,100 birds feed in zoological gardens, locations include Europe, America and Japan. Those european countries have been tried to reintroduce waldrapp but not successful.

Second mail from Cambodia

From left to right :
Black-naped Oriole (黑枕黃鸝) ; Bohemian Waxwing (太平鳥)
Great Grey Shrike (楔尾伯勞) ; Varied Tit (赤腹山雀)
Cambodia (1995, 1997)
6th July, 2009. Phnom Penh

It is second mail from Cambodia, four stamps are come from two issues released on 1995 and 1997 separately. Actually, they are real stamps and valid for postage until now, however as the image of Cambodia stamps are not good during 90's year of last century - people dislike to collect them because some of stamps printed with faked postmark sell in cheap value to beginner collector. Beside of this reason, the stamps still collective as some species only illustrated on Cambodia stamps.

Those four species are very common in Asia, but only Black-naped Oriole can be found in Cambodia. Black-naped Oriole is a beautiful bird, looks golden-yellow feather with blacked nape, also can sings nice sound. It breeds in north-east China and migrates to south Asia in winter.

Below cover from Taiwan also features two Varied Tit stamps, subspecies of Varied Tit is endemic to Taiwan. Other population can be found in the range from Kuril Islands of Russia, Japan, Korea Peninsular to Taiwan.

Varied Tit (赤腹山雀)
Taiwan (2007)
21st December, 2008. Keelung

⭕️Kagu

MaxicardKagu (鷺鶴)
New Caledonia (2007)
3rd April, 2007. Nouméa (First day special postmark)

In December of 2008, here has been shown you a set of bird stamps of New Caledonia, two covers feature two different stamps separately. Now here is the last one Kagu, the national bird of New Caledonia. Kagu is endemic to New Caledonia, is the only one species under Rhynochetos (鷺鶴屬). It can't fly and only nests on the floor with branch, mostly can be found in forest of the islands. Kagu looks grey and white with reddish legs, eyes and bill.

As the non-resident mammal bought to New Caledonia by human endangering Kagu, also the change of habitat and illegal hunting, it is facing extinction. Now it is protected by governor of the islands.

Below cover features other two stamps again. Now the series is completely collected.

L : Crow Honeyeater (紅臉裸吸蜜鳥) ; R : Caledonian Greybird (山鵑鵙)
New Caledonia (2007)
29th June, 2009. Nouméa
8th July, 2009. Hongkong

Another mail from Vietnam

From left to right :
2000d : Pel's Fishing Owl (橫斑漁鴞) ; 1000d : Tawny Owl (灰林鴞)
400d : Eastern Brown Fish Owl (褐漁鴞)
10000d : Northern White-faced Owl (白臉角鴞)
5000d : Spotted Wood Owl (點斑林鴞)
Vietnam (1995)
22nd May, 2009. Hanoi
5th June, 2009. Hongkong

This mail arrived on the same day with last mail from Vietnam, actually they are same requests on the stamp exhibition. Same as last mail, it didn't send by registered mail although postage paid. Not surprise these five stamps not illustrate species of Vietnam again, as it is feature of this country. Pel's Fishing Owl is a large owl can be found in most African countries. Northern White-faced Owl and Brown Fish Owl can be found in some south-Asian countries, one of subspecies lives in Vietnam and south-east China called B. z. orientalis. Spotted Wood Ow can be found in south-east Asia, seems rarely live in Vietnam.

Nation symbol of U.A.E.

Peregrine Falcon (擬游隼)
United Arab Emirates (2007)
4th November, 2007. Sharjah

Peregrine Falcon is a common bird of prey in the world, it appears on any places except two poles and high level areas, there are recorded 17 to 19 subspecies of Peregrine. Only two subspecies F. p. pelegrinoides and F. p. babylonicus can be found in United Arab Emirates and rounded countries.

Peregrine Falcon is a nation bird of United Arab Emirates, a rich country lay on Persian Gulf. The stamp illustrate a decorated Peregrine Falcon with Arabic which is a newest nation symbol of this country.

Western Gull and Brown Pelican

Galápagos Brown Pelican (加拉帕戈斯褐鵜鶘) ; Western Gull (西美鷗)
The Gambia (1999)
23rd June, 2009. Banjul

Brown Pelican is the smallest and only one can diving in the eight species of Pelicans (鵜鶘屬) genus, widely bleeding in Pacific or Atlantic seashores of North America and some will migrate to Chile or Guyana of South America for winter. Galápagos Brown Pelican is a subspecies of Brown Pelican, it is a resident bird of Galápagos Islands. However, the description of the stamp only shown Brown Pelican not the subspecies name.

Western Gull is a quite common bird in Pacific seashore of North America, from Washington to Baja California of Mexico. It likes nesting on the offshore islands, and its live normally from 15 to 25 years.

These two stamps are two of a set of seabird stamps issued by the Gambia, other two are American Oystercatcher (美洲蠣鷸) and Blue-footed Booby (藍腳鰹鳥) respectively. They are not birds of the Gambia as all of them only live in America area. The Gambia is one of black-listed countries frequency issue commercial stamps or the stamps not related to its country, but they still valid for postage when posting mail.

Postage labels of Israel

From left column to right :
Lesser Kestrel (黃爪隼) ; Griffon Vulture (黑白禿鷲) ; Short-toed Eagle (短趾雕)
Israel (2009)
30th June, 2009. Beersheba (first day special postmark)
30th June, 2009. Tel Aviv-Yafo
8th July, 2009. Hongkong

Israel Post plans to issue five birds of prey ATM postage labels in this year, they are the first thematic series after Israel Post redesigned the label's format, it more looks like normal stamp. The last label Bonelli's Eagle (白腹隼鵰) will be issued on September. Those four birds of prey are very common in Israel, and widely live in middle-east and north Africa ; Short-toed Eagle and Lesser Kestrel are also can be found in Europe, but population are decreasing due to habitat destruction and model of agriculture.

They are not French

In recent years, France issued couple of stamps illustrate many species can't be found in France continent (as known as Metropolitan France), some of them are endemic to its overseas territories or other place not related to France, here are three of them.

Phorusrhacos longissimus (長腿恐鶴) ; Barau's Petrel (留尼汪圓尾鸌)

France (2008, 2007)
15th July, 2008. Rue de Louvre, Paris

Phorusrhacos (恐鶴屬), actually it is in Latin language, only one species under this genus called P. longissimus. A prehistoric species only can be found in Patagonia, the area include east of Andes and the south of Río Colorado, Argentina. This bird cannot fly and looks like Ostrich (鴕鳥), it is an only bird of prey of Patagonia in mid-Miocene date, but it extinct over 2 millions years.

Barau's Petrel is an endangered seabird range from Réunion and Madagascar to West Australia and Indonesia. Moderately defined "M" mark across wings and with blacked bill. Only 6,000 to 8,000 birds are found in Indian Ocean and the population is decreasing.

California Condor (加州神鷲)
France (2009)
26th June, 2009. Amilly, Loiret
5th July, 2009. Hongkong

California Condor is the largest bird of North America, only lives in Grand Canyon area, California and north part of Baja California, Mexico. It looks black, with widest wings but doesn't have feather on its head, the skin colour can be changed due to its emotion. California Condor can lives near 50 year old and it is one of longest life bird in the world. However, because of illegal hunting, lead poisoning and damage of habitat, population of California Condor is decreasing rapidly since 19th century. Only about 330 birds recorded on December 2008.