Welcome to my collection. My topic is birds and I collect mostly covers but I will show you a variety of philatelic material that is part my collection.

Sunday, 26 October 2025

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.

Saturday, 25 October 2025


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.

Friday, 24 October 2025


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.


Even though the white stork (Ciconia ciconia) has been shown before, no info was supplied. So, the species can be found in parts of Europe, Asia and northern Africa and it migrates for the winter further south in Africa and areas of southern Asia. It has two subspecies. It preys on amphibians, insects, reptiles, fish, small mammals, small birds and eggs. Finally, it is the national bird of Belarus, Lithuania and Poland.

The stamps were issued in 2004.


On this cover, we have a mixture of three bird sets. The first bird stamp, issued in 2014, shows the Nightingale Island finch (Nesospiza questi). It is named after the Nightingale Island on which it is endemic to. It is vulnerable species due to habitat loss. It feeds on seeds, berries and invertebrates.

The next three stamps were issued in 2010 and 2013 and they all feature the Tristan albatross (Diomedea dabbenena), a critically endangered seabird. It is endemic to Tristan da Cunha and it forages all over the southern Atlantic ocean for fish and cephalopods.

On the second row, the final stamp, issued in 2010, depicts the Gough Island finch (Rowettia goughensis). It is also critically endangered. It is endemic to Gough Island. It feeds on invertebrates, seeds, berries and even carrion.


Thank you Gerda!

The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) lives in most of Europe, vast areas of Asia and many populations migrate to Africa. It has over ten subspecies. It preys on birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects and, rarely, fish.

We have seen the Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo) before.

The stamps belong to a set of five issued in 2010 by Belgium.


In 2007, the USA issued a set of four stamps about pollination. One of them features the Calliope hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope). It is the smallest bird in North America. It migrates to the southwestern USA and Central America for the winter. They feed on nectar but they occassionally also catch small insects and spiders.


The white-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus) can be found in Europe and Asia. It has fourteen subspecies, of which one is extinct. It feeds on molluscs, fish, aquatic invertebrates and small amphibians. It is the national bird of Norway.

The stamp was issued in 2019.


 This 2019 Europa stamp features the Bohemian waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus). It is native to northeastern Europe, north Asia and North America. It has three subspecies. It is migratory flying south for the winter. It feeds primarily on fruit but it also consumes insects.