Thank you Henriikka!

Steller's eider (Polysticta stelleri) is a migratory duck species found along the areas of the Arctic coast. It feeds on crustaceans, molluscs and other marine and freshwater invertebrates. As can be seen on the stamp issued in 2001, males (front) and females (back) have different coloured plumage with the latter being mostly brown and the former more colourful.

We have recently seen the snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus). Here it is on a stamp issued by Belarus in 2023.

 

Thank you Marina!

Issued in 1991, the stamp shows a little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis or Podiceps ruficollis). It has a wide distribution as it can be found in Europe, Africa and Asia. The populations in areas were the water freezes during the winter are migratory. It has ten subspecies. It feeds on insects, small fish, amphibians, molluscs and crustaceans.

The white stork (Ciconia ciconia) has been shown twice before. Here, it can be seen on a 2011 souvenir sheet from Slovenia. The postcard is taxed as is evident by the T postmark.

Issued in 2013, this stamp features the endangered Malayan peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron malacense). It is endemic to the Malay peninsula. The male has a longer tail than the female and it also has a long crest on its head, which the female does not have. It feeds on both insects and plant material.
 

The short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) can be found in the northern Pacific Ocean. It feeds on squid, fish and crustaceans. It also eats offal discarded from ships. It is listed as a vulnerable species.

The red-crown crane (Grus japonensis) has been shown in the past.

The bonin white-eye (Apalopteron familiare) is endemic to the japanese Bonin Islands. It has two subspecies. It consumes fruit, flowers, insects, spiders and small reptiles. It is considered as near threatened.

Finally, the ruddy kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda) can be found in east and southeast Asia and it has ten subspecies. The northern populations are migratory. It eats insects, earthworms, land snails, lizards, fish, crabs, frogs and their tadpoles and offal.

The first three stamps were issued in 1975 while the kingfisher one in 2021.

Feauturing the barn shallow (Hirundo rustica) and the Eurasian chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), these two stamps belong to a set of four issued in 2020 by the Finnish Post. Both species have been presented in the past.

Issued in 2007, the first pair of stamps depicts the boreal or tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus). Next is the long-eared owl (Asio otus) followed by the little owl (Athene noctua), both issued in 2007 too. Finally, the tawny owl (Strix aluco) stamps were issued in 2009. All four species have been presented in the past.

 

The Eurasian wryneck (Jynx torquilla) can be found, as its name states, in Europe and Asia. It migrates to Africa and southern Asia for the winter. It belongs to the woodpecker family and it has six subspecies. It feeds on insects, primarily ants. It occassionally also consumes spiders, woodlice, eggs, frog tadpoles, molluscs and, rarely, berries.

The stamp was issued in 2011.

 

The tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) can be found in the north Pacific Ocean and it is a migratory species. It feeds on fish and marine invertebrates. The yellow tufts appear annually as the breeding season begins in the summer and they molt off afterwards. Their face also turns from white to grey for the winter. Thus, on the stamp, issued in 2013, they appear in their summer plumage.

The stamp to the right was issued in 2001 and it shows a northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), for which I have recently written about.

The stamp to the left, issued in 2002, feautures a house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and a Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus). The house sparrow has also been presented in the past. The Eurasian tree sparrow can be found in Europe and most of Asia and it was introduced to Australia and North America. It has nine subspecies. It primarily feeds on seeds but, during the breeding season, it also consumes invertebrates.

Issued in 2014, the stamps show a pair of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and a pair of northern shovelers (Spatula clypeata or Anas clypeata). The stamps show a male (colourful one) and a female (brown one). I have written about the mallard in the past.

The northern shoveler is a species of migratory dabbling duck that can be found in Europe, Asia, North and Central America, northern South America, the Caribbean and areas of Africa. It feeds on plant material, plankton, small crustaceans and other invertebrates.

 

The southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus) can be found in islands of the south Atlantic and south Indian oceans and in southern coastal South America and the Antarctica. It feeds on carrion, birds, fish, krill, cephalopods, offal and waste from ships.

The stamp was issued in 2001.

Issued in 2011, this pair of stamps features the great tit (Parus major). It is native to Europe, central Asia, the Middle East and areas of north Africa. It has fifteen subspecies. During the summer, it eats small invertebrates. At other seasons, it adds fruit and seeds to its diet. Interestingly, in Hungary populations have been recorded preying on hibernating pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus).

The European robin (Erithacus rubecula) can be found in Europe, western Asia and north Africa. The northern populations are migratory. It has nine subspecies. It feeds on earthworms, spiders, small insects, fruit and seeds. It also occationally consumes carrion and very small lizards and fish.

The Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) is native to Europe and parts of western Asia. It has nine subspecies. It feeds on small invertebrates, fruit and seeds.

As for the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica), we have seen them before.

The stamp set was issued in 2018.

 

Thank you Mildred!

Issued in 2011, the stamp features the white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus), which is native to south and southeast Asia. It has five subspecies. It feeds on insects, spiders, small fish, aquatic invertebrates and seeds, shoots and roots of marsh plants. 

Thank you Michi for this great card and clearly cancelled stamp!

The Eurasian teal (Anas crecca) is migratory species of dabbling duck found in temperate Europe and Asia. It migrates to the Mediterranean, the Nile Valley, south Asia, Japan and Taiwan. During the breeding season, it feeds on aquatic invertebrates, insects, worms and molluscs while in the winter it eats mostly seeds.

The stamp was issued in 2025.
 

The Indian spot-billed duck (Anas poecilorhyncha) is a dabbling duck species native to southwestern Asia. It lives in freshwater wetlands and it has two subspecies. It feeds primarily on plant material but its diet occationally includes insects, worms and molluscs.

The stamp was issued in 2020.

Issued in 2007, these stamps depict the yellow-rumped flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia) and the stork-billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis).

The yellow-rumped flycatcher can be found in eastern Asia and it is migratory. The male, depicted on the stamp, is more brightly coloured than the female. The latter is of olive-green or greyish colour while the former has black upper head, wings and tail, white supercilium and wingpatch and bright yellow throat and belly. It feeds on small invertebrates.

The stork-billed kingfisher is a large kingfisher native to southwestern Asia. It has thirteen subspecies. It feeds on fish, crustaceans, frogs, lizards, rodents, insects and young birds.

Thank you Anna for this great postcard with a matching Eurasian magpie (Pica pica) stamp issued in 2024. The Eurasian magpie is common throughout Europe and vast areas of Asia. It has six subspecies. It is omnivorous and extremelly intelligent.

 

Swinhoe's pheasant (Lophura swinhoei) is endemic to Taiwan.As can be seen on the stamps, issued in 2014, the male is mostly blue while the female is brown. It feeds on plant material and insects. It is near threatened.

Issued in 2008, the bird on the stamps is a razorbill (Alca torda), a north Atlantic seabird. It is monogamous with males generally larger than females. It has two subspecies. The North American populations are migratory. It feeds on fish, crustaceans and polychaetes. In North America, the species is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. 
 

This stamp, issued in 2010, shows the great blue turaco (Corythaeola cristata). It can be found in Africa. It feeds on plant material. The locals of west Africa hunt and eat the species.

The stamp was issued to celebrate the centenary of The East Africa Natural History Society.

Years ago, I showed a cover from Croatia with two stamps featuring the little tern (Sterna albifrons). Here is the other half of the set showing the same species.

The green-headed tanager (Tangara seledon) is native to southeastern Brazil, southeastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina. It feeds on fruit and insects.

The violet-capped woodnymph (Thalurania glaucopis) is a species of hummingbird found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and possibly Uruguay. It is a short-distance migrant. It feeds on both nectar and small insects.

This stamp set was issued in 2011.

Issued in 2012, this stamps features the little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius or Thinornis dubius). It can be found in most of Europe and Asia as well as northern Africa. It migrates for the winter to central Africa. It has three subspecies. It feeds on insects, spiders and other invertebrates.

The common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) is widespead across Europe and parts of Asia and northwestern Africa. It is partly migratory and it has five subspecies, one of which is extinct. It feeds primarily on plant material and occassionally on invertebrates. Finally, it is a gamebird.

The stamp was issued in 2021.

 

Issued in 2009, this pair of stamps shows the saker falcon (Falco cherrug). This migratory species can be found in Central Europe, Asia and north Africa. It is the third fastest bird in the world. It has four subspecies and it preys on small mammals and birds as well as lizards. It is also used in falconry. Finally, it is an endangered species.

The first stamp, issued in 2021, depicts a Eurasian bittern (Botaurus stellaris). Of its two subspecies, the stamp must depict Botaurus stellaris stellaris, which is native to parts of Europe and Asia as well as coastal northern Africa. The other subspecies is endemic to areas of southern Africa. It feeds on fish, small mammals, young birds, amphibians, insects and crustaceans. Although it is classified as least concern, global populations are slowly declining.

The second stamp, belonging to the same set as the previous one, shows the pygmy cormorant (Microcarbo pygmaeus), which we have seen before.

Finally, the souvenir sheet was issued in 2018 and it shows a family of black woodpeckers (Dryocopus martius). The postcard also features this bird. It is the largest woodpecker species in Europe and one of the largest species in Asia. It has two subspecies. It feeds on insects.

Issued in 2022, this stamp shows the lesser spotted woodpecker (Dryobates minor or Dendrocopos minor). It can be found in most of Europe and north Asia and it has over ten subspecies. The male has a red crown while the female has a white one. It feeds on small insects and rarely on plant material such as seeds and fruit.

Thank you Matthias!

The tree shallow (Tachycineta bicolor), here on a stamp issued in 2010, is a migratory bird found in North and Central America. It feeds on insects but also spiders, molluscs and fruit.

The southern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) is a vulnerable species found in southern South America, New Zealand, the Falkland Islands and on islands of the southern Indian Ocean. It has two subspecies. It feeds on fish, crustaceans and cephalopods.

The stamp was issued in 2003.

Thank you Mina for this great card from Japan!

The first bird stamp, issued in 2015, depicts a crested ibis (Nipponia nippon), which we have discussed before. The second bird stamp issued in 2024 and celebrating the International Letter-writing Week, shows a Japanese grosbeak (Eophora personata). It is found in eastern Asia and it has two subspecies, of which Eophora personata personata is native to Japan and it is, thus, depicted on the stamp. The other subspecies, Eophora personata magnostris, is migratory. It feeds on seeds and fruit.

I usually do not comment on the photos on the postcard but this time I will make an exception. Blakiston's fish owl (Ketupa blakistoni) is the largest species of owl in the world. It lives in the Russian Far East, China and Japan. It has two subspecies. It feeds primarily on fish but also amphibians, crabs, birds and bats. It is endangered. Finally, the Evens people of Russia consume the species.

We have seen the black swan (Cygnus atratus) in the recent past. Here, a pair is featured on a miniature sheet issued in 2009 celebrating Singapore's botanic gardens.