Thank you Andrew for this postcard from Russia. Both bird stamps used were issued in 2006.
Ross's Gull (Rhodostethia rosea): This small gull, which is named after the British explorer James Clark Ross, can be found in arctic north part of North America and in northeast Siberia. It migrates south but on a short distance. It can eat any small prey.
Siberian Crane or Snow Crane (Grus leucogeranus): It can be found in wetlands in arctic Russia and western Siberia. It migrates in China, Iran and India. It eats aquatic plants. It is classified as critical.

Thank you Jemma for this aerogamme from Australia.
Wandering Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna arcuata): This whistling duck can be found in subtropical and tropical Australia, in the Pacific Islands, Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea. It has three subspecies. It is classified as least concerned and it feeds on grass, waterlillies, water plants, aquatic vertebrates and insects. It is a migratory species.

Merry Christmas to everyone! Here is a pre-paid card from Poland. It was issued in 2006 and it is part of a series showing the beauty of this country. White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) are one of them.

Thank you Boben for this nice registered cover from India. The m/s was released in 2010. Both the birds it shows are very common. About the Rock Pigeon you can have a look in older posts.
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus): It can be found in most of Europe and Asia. It has 12 subspecies. It feeds mostly on seeds and insects but it is also an opportunistic bird.

Hello everyone, for my first post in December I chose a WWF cover from Croatia. The stamps used for postage were issued in 2006 and they are a part of a set of four. The whole set is devoted in Little Tern (Sterna albifrons) which I presented in a previous post. Thank you Dragan for the cover.

Thank you Park for this cover from South Korea. Five bird stamps are used. From left to right:
Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus): The stamp was issued in 1997. It is native in East Asia but it can be found in other countries as a pet. It was also introduced to Hawaii. It feeds on insects and nectar.
Great Tit (Parus major): The stamp was released in 2006. It can be found in woodlands in the Middle East, Europe, parts of North Africa and Northern and Central Asia. It has 14 subspecies. It eats berries, seeds, spiders, insects and caterpillars.
Yellow-billed or Chinese Grosbeak (Eophona migratoria): The stamp was issued in 2002. This species of finch lives in temperate forests in Russia and Asia. It has two subspecies.
Little Tern (Sterna albifrons): The stamp was released in 1994. This seabird can be found in the tropical and temperate coasts and inland waterways of Asia and Europe. In the winter it migrates to the tropical and subtropical oceans so then it can be found even in Australia and South Africa. There are three subspecies. It feeds on fish.
Scops Owl (Otus scops): The stamp was released in 1993. I have presented this species in the past.

This is my only cover from Maldive Islands. From left to right:
Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus): The stamp was released in 2002. It lives in South and Southeast Asia. It has five subspecies. It feeds mainly on fruit but it can also eat insects, eggs, small vertebrates and caterpillars.
Swinhoe's or Forest or Chinese Snipe (Gallinago megala): The stamp was released in 2002. It can be found in southern and central Siberia and Mongolia. In the winter it migrates to South-east Asia. It feeds on insects, earthworms and mollusks.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus): The stamp was released in 2002. I have written before about this species.
Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus): The stamp was released in 2007. This migratory seabird has nine subspecies.

This great cover from Indonesia has only one bird stamp issued in 2008.
Twelve-wired Bird-of-paradise (Seleucidis melanoleucus): This least concern South American bird of paradise can be found in lowland forests. It feeds on arthropods and fruit.

For today I chose this cover from Argentina, thank you Viviana! Four bird stamps were used. The first two were released in 1976 and the last two in 1972. From left to right:
Golden-collared Macaw (Primolius auricollis): This small macaw is native to Central America mainly in lowlands. It feeds on seeds, flower buds and fruit. It is one of the few lucky parrot species to be classified as least concern.
Plush-crested Jay (Cyanocorax chrysops): It can be found in Central-southern South America. It is also classified as least concern.
Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola): This South American bird eats mostly seeds. It can be found as a pet.
Rufous-bellied Thrush (Turdus rufiventris): It can be found in South America and since 2002 it is Brazil's national bird. It's of least concern and it feeds on arthropods and seeds.

Thank you Terence for yet another great cover. The whole 2010 Kent Ridge Park Heritage Trail set of four was used and canceled with roller datestamp. It was also dissent to Sri Lanka. Unfortunately the postmark applied by Sri Lanka Post is not very clear in the scan.
Straw-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus): This vulnerable songbird can be found in Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia. It can be found in low trees and shrubs along the banks of rivers and streams, within forest, plantations, gardens, scrubs, reedbeds and mangroves. It feeds on berries, fruits and small invertebrates.
White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster): I wrote about it in previous post.

Thank you Yumi for this great cover from Japan. Two bird stamps were used for postage. The Common Kingfisher one was issued in 2010 while the Red-crown Crane was issued in 1974 as a part of a set on Japanese folk tales.
Red-crown Crane (Grus japonensis): It is the second rarest crane in the world. It can be found in Siberia and northeastern Mongolia. In the winter it migrates to east Asia. It feeds on aquatic invertebrates, small amphibians, insects and plans which grow in swamps and marshes. It is an endangered species.

My first cover from Uganda with bird stamps issued in 1992.
Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum): This African bird can be found in dry savvanah. It has two subspecies. It is the national bird of Uganda and it is listed as vulnerable. It feeds on insects, grass seeds and invertebrates.
Abyssinian Roller (Coracias abyssinica): It lives in tropical Africa. Only the northern part of its population migrates southern. It feeds on rodents and large insects.
Shining Blue Kingfisher (Alcedo quadribrachys): This kingfisher can be found in Africa.

This registered cover from Jordan uses the complete bird issue from 1970.
White-crowned Wheatear (Oenanthe leucopyga): This flycatcher can be found in stony desserts in Africa and in the Arabian Peninsula. It is a rare vagrant to western Europe. It feeds on insects.
Palestine Sunbird (Cinnyris oseus): It can be found in sub-Saharan Africa and Middle East. It has two subspecies. It feeds on nectar and insects.
Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus): It can be found in Iran, southeastern Europe and the eastern end of the Mediterranean. It the winter it migrates to northeast Africa. It feeds on voles, small birds, lizards and large insects.

Thank you Daniel for this nice cover from Philippines. The first two stamps are a part of set of four issued in 2009. The last stamp, also coming from a set of four, was released in 2004. In the Philippines can be found 16 owl species.
Luzon Scops-owl (Otus longicornis): It is endemic to the mountains of Luzon island in Philippines.
Philippine Eagle-owl (Bubo philippensis): Another owl endemic to the Philippines. It is classified as vulnerable. It feeds on small mammals and birds and it has two subspecies.
Philippine Scops-owl (Otus megalotis): Also endemic to the forests of the Philippines. It feeds on insects.

Today I will start with a machine canceled cover from South Africa. The stamp is part of a set of five issued in 2009. Cape Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis) is endemic to the southwestern coasts of Africa. It is a near threatened species. It feeds on fish such as sardines.

I have shown Eagle Owl before but I wanted to present this beautiful FDC from Latvia. I was issued in 2010 as a part of a set of two. The other stamp shows Common Roller.

Now a FDC from Israel. The set was released in the 27th of January 2010. Eurasian Hoopoe was shown before.
European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis): This finch lives in western and central Asia, North Africa and Europe. When it lives in colder areas it migrates in winter. The species is divated to two major groups with twelve subspecies. It feeds on seeds.
Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis): This warbler is resident to southwest Asia and northeast Africa. There are twelve subspecies.

This sheet arrived today from Czech Republic inside the above cover. The sheet was issued in 2010 while the bird stamp on the cover is a part of a similar sheet issued in 2007. I have already written about Common Roller, Wallcreeper and Eurasian Hoopoe.
Common or Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus): It can be found in Africa, Asia, Europe and sometimes to the east coast of North America. The birds living in colder areas migrate south in the winter. It feeds on mouse-sized mammals, small birds, lizards, frogs, bats, invertebrates and insects. It has eleven subspecies.
Barred Warbler (Sylvia nisoria): It can be found in temperate Asia and eastern Europe. In winter it migrates to eastern Africa. It is insectivorous but it can also eat berries and soft fruit.
Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus): It lives in temperate areas of the northern hemisphere. In summer it migrates in western Asia and Europe will in winter it can be found in the tropics. It feeds on fruit and insects.

Thank you James for this card sent from South Korea.
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax): The stamp was released in 2000. This medium-sized heron can be found almost anywhere expect Australasia and the coldest parts of the planet. It eats small fish, crustaceans, small birds, small mammals, frogs and aquatic insects.
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus): It is the smallest of the holarctic swans and it has two subspecies. It can be found in Arctic and subarctic tundra but it migrates in marshlands and grasslands near the coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic vegetation.

This is one of the many excellent covers I received from Wand Jia Yi (www.gonewithpostcards.blogspot.com). The stamps and m/s used were issued in 2004. On the m/s you can see Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus) which was already presented in a cover from Thailand. The two stamps depict Indian or Blue Peafowl (Pavo cristatus). This pheasant, which is native to South Asia, is the national bird of India. It feeds on grain, berries, seeds, fruit, insects, lizards, snakes and small rodents. On the first stamp you can see the leucistic variety of the species.

Thank you Heather for this card from Australia. The lower two values of the four 2009 Songbirds of Australia stamps are used for postage.
Green Catbird (Ailuroedus crassirostris): This bowerbird is endemic to the east coast of Australia where it lives in subtropical forests. It feeds on fruit and flowers.
Noisy Scrub-bird (Atrichornis clamosus): It is also endemic to Australia. It lives in temperate shrubland but due to habitat loss it is threatened and for a while in the past it was considerated exctinct.

Thank you Dao for both the cards you sent me from Vietnam, this is the 1st one. The stamp, issued in 2010, is a part of a set of three plus a m/s. Spoon;billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus) is a small wader. It can be found in northeastern Russia and in winter, when it migrates, in South and Southeast Asia. It is an endangered species.

This card was sent to me by a postcrossing member traveling to Cape Verde, thank you! The Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) was shown here before. The stamp was issued in 2010.

Thank you Nevasara for yet another great postcard. The penguin stamp was released in 2000 and the loon one in 2005.
Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus maggellanicus): It lives in South America. It is of medium size and it feeds on crustaceans. It is a threatened species.
Black-throated or Arctic Loon (Gavia arctica): This migratory bird can be found in the northern hemisphere. It feeds on fish.

Hello everyone, today I will present this cover sent to me from USA, thank you Michael. The whole Hawaiian Rain Forest set is used. It was released in September 2010 and as you can see it was sent to Hawaii for the special first day postmark. Five of the ten stamps depict birds and four of the five species are presented for the first time on stamps. From left to right:
Apapane (Himatione sanguinea): This finch is endemic to Hawaii. It mostly feeds on nectar from flowers but it can also eat insects.
Omao (Myadestes obscurus): This thrush is also endemic to Hawaii and it is listed as vulnerable. It feeds on fruit, berries, snails, insects and flower bracts.
Akepa (Loxops coccineus): Also endemic to Hawaii, this bird has three subspecies but only Loxops coccineus coccineus has not been extinct. It feeds on small caterpillars which it finds on 'Ohi'a-lehua trees leaf buds. It also feeds on this tree's nectar and on insects and arthropods it finds on koa trees.
Hawaii Amakihi (Hemignathus virens): It is endemic to Hawaii too. It is one of the most common honeycreepers there. This finch eats nectar, juices from fruit, insects and spiders.
Iiwi (Vestiaria coccinea): This endemic to Hawaii Hawaiian hummingbird-niched species is endangered. It feeds on nectar and small arthropods.

Hello, I am back after my long disappearance from my blog with a cover from Spain with a stamp issued in 2009. Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) is a white heron of small size. It has two subspecies. It can be found in temperate parts of Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia near wetlands. I t is also introduced in America. In warmer areas is a resident bird but northern populations migrate to Africa and southern Asia. It feeds on fish, amphibians, insects, reptiles and crustaceans. It is an endangered species.

Today I will show this postcard from Belgium with a 2002 Flycatcher stamp. Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) is an Old World Flycatcher and it can be found mostly in Europe and Asia but also in Canada, Alaska and Greenland. It migrates to Africa. It has six subspecies. It feeds on insects but it can also eat berries.

This set was issued in 1998 by USA.
Antillean Euphonia (Euphonia musica): This finch can be found in tropical and subtropical dry forests in islands of Antilles. It mainly eats berries.
Green-throated Carib (Eulampis holosericeus): This hummingbird is located in the Caribbean region. It has two subspecies.
Akohekohe or Crested Honeycreeper (Palmeria dolei): This finch is endemic to Hawaii's island Maui and it can be found in its wet forests. It feeds on nectar and insects. Its main source of food is the nectar of the Metrosideros polymorpha. It is an endangered species.
Cardinal Honeyeater (Myzomela cardinalis): It is located in Vanuatu, American Samoa, Samoa and Solomon Islands. It feeds mostly on nectar.

This set was issued in 2009 and it is a joint issue with Bulgaria.
Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola): It can be found in temperate and subarctic Eurasia. Its main food is earthworms but its diet also includes insects and their larvae, seeds and freshwater molluscs. It is a game bird.
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis): It can be found from southern Europe to central Asia to northern China. In winter it migrates south of the Sahara. It feeds on berries, insects and small reptiles.

Another cover from Malaysia. This one is registered and it traveled via Hong Kong. I also has a postmark "posted out of course" in both English and Malay. The bird stamp is coming from 2005 definitive set. Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps indica) lives in northern and eastern Australia and in tropical southern Asia. It finds on seeds and fruit. It is the state bird of India's state Tamil Nadu.

For today I chose this cover from Uzbekistan which I received a few days ago. The bird stamps are from 2009. In the second image you can see a postmark in russian that it was applied to the back of the cover. It translates:
RECEIVED WITH TRACES OF GLUE
MOSCOW MMPO
Red-breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis): This endangered goose breeds in Arctic Europe and in winter it migrates south. It feeds on grass leaves and shoots.
Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus): See Finland
Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca): It is a medium-sized diving duck. It can be found in lakes and marshes in Asia and Europe. It migrates to North Africa. It feeds on aquatic plants, aquatic insects, small fish and molluscs.
Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus): It can be found in northernmost Asia and there is a programme for its re-introduction to Fennoscandia. It is an endangered species. It is herbivorous.

Here is another cover from Malaysia with a variety of bird stamps. From left to right:
White-faced Hill-partridge (Arborophila orientalis): This stamp is coming from 2001 Quail and Partridge set. This threatened pheasant can be found only in Indonesia's tropical and subtropical moist montanes.
White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus): I have already talked about it.
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta): The stamp was issued in 2006. This species lives in northern parts of Europe, Asia and North America. It eats plant food and small invertebrates. It is a migratory bird.
Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus): The stamps was also released in 2001. It can be found in China, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. This pheasant is the ancestor of the domestic chicken. Including the domestic one it has six subspecies. It is omnivorous.

In this post I just want to present two covers from Cyprus just to show the rates for domestic mail. For a normal envelope weighing 20-100g (1st envelope) the rate is o.34 euro plus the Refugee Fund stamp and for a registered envelope 2.05 euro plus the Refugee Fund stamp.
The 1st envelope was mailed from Larnaka to Nicosia and the 2nd one from Aradippou Post Office to the same address.
The first envelope was machine canceled and the S24/2009 commemorative slogan is used celebrating the World Post Day 9.10.2009. This slogan was used from the 5th of October until the 9th of the same month. The same slogan is used every year for this event.

Thank you Daniela for this excellent cover. The full 2006 Eurasian or Common Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) set is used. This species can be found in marshy wetlands in North Africa and in southern Eurasia. Most birds migrate to Africa for the winter. There are three subspecies. It feeds on fish, amphibians and crustaceans. It is a protected species.

I will now show you another of my self-made maxi cards. I used a 2009 stamp from Cyprus set Domestic Fowls.
Two things are wrong with the maxi card. The most visible is the quality of the postmark. This is due to the surface of the card which is not suitable for the ink used by the post office.
The second mistake is that while the stamp shows a Domestic Turkey the card shows a Wild Turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo) although they both are the same species.
Wild Turkey and specifically one of its six subspecies M.G.Gallopavo (South Mexican subspecies) is the ancestor of the domestic one. Wild Turkey is native to North America and it is omnivorous.

In 2008 Azores issued a set of stamps and a variety of souvenir sheets devoted to the endangered species Azores Bullfinch (Pyrrhula murina). On the upper stamp of this s/s you can see the male and on the bottom stamp the female. It is endemic to Azores. It feeds on seeds, flower buds and fruit.

Here are two FDCs devoted to the Black Stork (Ciconia nigra). The first one was issued from Belarus in 2005 and it has the WWF logo on it. The second one was issued in 2006 from Algeria. It can be found in warmer Europe and it migrates in tropical Africa and India. It feeds mostly on insects, amphibians and fish.