Birds Perched, Birds Flying, Birds Aground

Finland's first "Birds" vending machine booklet was issued on March 21, 1991. 2.5 million of the booklets were produced. Stamps are 4 color offset printed. Booklet is Facit # HA21. Stamps are Facit #s 1134-6.

.10 Great Tit (Parus major)
.60 Chaffinch couple (Fringilla coelebs)
2.10 Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

The EUROPA stamps this year are featuring birds! Birds found in the issuing country (heimisch), maybe common, maybe at risk. The Goldammer (Yellowhammer; Emberiza citrinella) was chosen by Germany. It has become endangered in areas where it can no longer find safe places to nest and enough insects for the young.

Austria chose the Seeadler or See Eagle (Haliaetus albicilla) for their EUROPA stamp. After years of protecting habitats this largest of European eagles has returned to some of Austria's lakes and there are now about 20 breeding pairs in the country. The eagle's beak becomes bright yellow when the bird reaches maturity.

Slovakia's choice of EUROPA bird is the blue roller (Coracias garrulus), a strikingly beautiful bird in shades of blue with a brown back. The species has become rare in areas in which insecticides have reduced insect populations. 2019

Gibraltar chose a family of Barbary Partridges (<i>Alectoris barbara</i>) for their EUROPA stamp this year and even issued a souvenir sheet for them. The species is the national bird of Gibralter. Some EUROPA countries have issued stamps that you can scan and listen to on your gadget!

The common linnet (Linaria cannabina) is a pretty, small, seed-eating finch with a lovely song. Scrubby areas with a variety of "weeds" have become a rarity in the countryside, so loss of habitat is the major threat to the species. EUROPA, Luxembourg, 2019

The common linnet was also chosen by Guernsey for their EUROPA 2019 stamp. It looks like a twig of gorse the bird is sitting on; ideal place to perch and nest.

The greater spotted eagle (Clanga clanga) on the recent (March 12, 2019) stamp from Belarus:

The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) is the bird of Belarus for the Europa edition this year. The souvenir sheet shows a small breeding colony in a tree as well as a commonly seen nest on a rural building. Belarus has about 20,000 breeding pairs. The young appear to be panting to cool off on a hot summer day.

(Hello Vica, The Birdlife portrait of an eagle is great! K.)

Thanks for the appreciation of the set, Kris, - it is to be issued today, so I am going to leave home now, to send FDCs to my friends in Canada, Germany, Indian and Lithuania.

P.S. If you want to used my shortened nick - I wouldn't mind against Vic - abbreviated from Victor, not Victoria

This July 1, 2015, 70c definitive issue of Ireland depicts a great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major). The same photographic image was used again in 2015 for one of 8 designs in Ireland's 6th "Irish Animals and Marine Life" series of computer-vended stamps. The definitive is Scott #2077. Scott does not recognize/list computer-vended stamps outside of the U.S.A.

From Wikipedia, "This species is found across Eurasia and parts of North Africa...Some individuals have a tendency to wander, leading to the recent recolonization of Ireland and to vagrancy to North America."

The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) in the Moldovian stamp for EUROPA might be a young bird because adults usually have more golden-brown hues in their plumage.

The actual scans of the Belarusian stamps with the The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia), issued yesterday:





(left lower corner of the stamp sheet, with an additional design in the margins)

A magnificent portrait of a Siberian crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) and a chick is on the EUROPA stamp of Russia this year. These cranes migrate all the way from northern Siberia to southern China or India. They are now severely threatened by loss of habitat along their migratory routes.

(Hello Vic, Nice scans! K.)

Thanks, Kris

Here are some some scans of bird stamps from Belarus

Goldfinch (2018)



Common Crested Lark (2017)



Common Goldeneye (2016)



Long Eared Owl