My final post for tonight is a cover from Grand Rapids, Michigan with the complete 2024 Garden Delights set. All four stamps show the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). This migratory bird can be found in eastern North America and Central America. It is sexually dimorphic with males being smaller than females and having a slightely shorter bill. Males also have a red throat in contrast to females. They feed on nectar, insects and spiders.

In 2021, Sri Lankan Post issued a set of six stamps featuring endemic birds. From left to right:

Crimson-backed flameback (Chrysocolaptes stricklandi), like other woodpecker species, feeds on invertebrates and possibly some plant material. It has no sub-species.

Sri Lanka swallow (Cecropis hyperythra) has a size of 13-14 cm. It has no sub-species and it is not migratory. An interesting fact about the stamp is that the species Latin name is misspelled.

Sri Lanka grey hornbill (Ocyceros gingalensis) is omnivorous eating both fruits, insects, frogs and small lizards. It has no sub-species.

Spot-winged thrush (Geokichla spiloptera) again has no sub-species. It eats small invertebrates, small frogs, fruit and berries. It is considered near threatened.

Sri Lanka woodshrike (Tephrodornis affinis) possibly feeds on insects and to a lesser extend some fruit. It has no sub-species.

Crimson-fronted barbet (Psilopogon rubricapillus) feeds on both fruit and insects. It again has no sub-species.

The long-eared owl (Asio otus) is a quite widespread nocturnal species. It can be spotted in Europe, Asia, North America and northern Africa. It has four sub-species. It preys on small rodents, birds and even insects. It is a partially migratory species.

The stamp was issued in 2024.

Germany issued this lovely white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) stamp last August. This species of bird of prey is widespread in areas of Europe and Asia. It is partially migratory and it feeds on both fish and birds and occationally mammals. Many individuals of the species are also known to act as scavengers. Though numbers had declined, conservation measures and reintroductions have managed to restore populations in many countries.

 

Thank you Steve for this great postcard with a matching 2025 stamp from the UK. The common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) is a mgratory species found in areas of Europe, Asia and northern Africa. It feeds on molluscs, aquatic insects, crustaceans, small fish and plant matter.

The rock pigeon (Columba livia) has been shown a couple times before. The souvenir sheet used on the cover was issued in 2010.

The green peafowl (Pavo muticus) has been presented before but I have uploaded this cover to show the complete 2008 Thai set of stamps.

 In 2018, Norway issued a stamp featuring the chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus). It resides in the southern hemisphere. It eats small fish, shrimps, squids and krill. It is famously considered the most aggresive species of penguin.

 In 2013, Aland issued a set of four WWF stamps and on this cover there are three of them. From left to right, there is the great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus), the black-throated loon (Gavia arctica) and the red-throated loon (Gavia stellata).

The great crested grebe is widely spread in Europe and Asia but it can also be found in areas of Africa and Oceania. It has three sub-species. It feeds on fresh water fish, insects, frogs, newts and crustaceans.

The black-throated or arctic loon is resident of Asia and northern Europe. It has two subspecies. It feeds primarily on fish and it is migratory.

The red-throated loon is also migratory. It can be found in Asia, northern Europe and North America. It is the smallest of all loon species. It feeds mostly on fish and it is monogamous. In some areas, it is hunted.

The barn shallow (Hirundo rustica), depicted here on a 2023 Japanese stamp and a US postal stationery, can be found in all continents and it has six sub-species. It is migratory. It feeds on insects and it builds its nest of mud, hair etc. It is the national bird of both Austria and Estonia.

The purple honeycreeper (Cyanerpes caeruleus) can be found in northern South America. It has five sub-species. It feeds on nectar, seeds, fruit and insects. The male is purple with black wings and tail while the female and the immature individuals are green-yellow.

The stamp was issued in 2014.

This cover, destined for Belarus, was returned to me a while back due to flight cancelation. The stamp, showing a Cyprus scops owl (Otus cyprius), was issued in 2022. This small-sized owl species is endemic to Cyprus as obviously stated by its name.

This 2016 sheetlet from Canada shows a rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta), a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), a northern raven (Corvus corax), an Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) and a sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus).

The first one, an arctic game bird , changes colour from winter (white) to summer (brown). Here is depicted in its winter plumage. It can be found in northern Europe, areas of Asia and North America. It has 23 subspecies. It feeds mainly on plant material.

The great horned owl is native to America. It hunts rabbits, skunks and various species of rodents, birds, reptiles etc. Due to its wide distribution, it has a number of subspecies.

The northern or common raven is the most widely distributed corvid and it is also has a big number of sub-species. It is an omnivorous bird.

The atlantic or common puffin, native to the Atlantic ocean, lives in colonies. It feeds on small fish, crabs and zooplankton. The IUCN lists the species as vulnerable.

Finally, the sharp-tailed grouse, another game bird, is distributed in Canada and in parts of the USA. It has seven sub-species, one of which is extinct. It feeds on seeds, insects, leaves, berries etc.

Tunisia issued this set in 2004. From left to right, the stamps depict the male and female of the white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala), the ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca) and the moussier's redstart (Phoenicurus moussieri). The final stamp has a single marbled duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) as there is no sexual dimorphism in this species.

In 2021 Croatia issued a set of two stamps featuring the white-winged woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucopterus) and the middle spotted woodpecker (Dendrocoptes medius). The first species can be found in Asia while the second one primarily in Europe.

The stamp set is a joint issue with Kyrgyzstan.

Issued in 2023, this souvenir sheet depicts a black swan (Cygnus atratus) with its youngs. This waterbird is indigenous to Australia but it was introduced to various other countries in the recent past. They pair for life and they feed primarily on aquatic plants.

Thank you Roman for this great cover from Saint Pierre and Miquelon. The first stamp, issued in 2019, depicts a bay-breasted warbler (Setophaga castanea) while the second one, issued in 2020, shows a greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca).

 

Just a short post to show I am still around. I don't know how often I will be updating the blog but here is a Turks and Caicos cover I received back in 2011. The depicted bird is the red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).

As my previous post was so short I am posting another cover sent from Switzerland. Thank you Vural for it.  The stamps are cancelled with Geuensee's pictorial postmark. The bird stamp was issued in 1970.
Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) can be found in northern Asia and in Europe.  It has many subspecies.  It feeds mostly on insects and grubs but when these can't be found, it can also eat fruit, seeds, small rodents, eggs etc.

Here is another cover fom Ebay.  The stamp, issued in 1969, comes from the first bird set of Cyprus.  It shows European roller (Coracias garrulus) which was shown before in this blog.  The cover was mailed in 1970 and it has a postmark from FPO 201.