Birds Perched, Birds Flying, Birds Aground

Denmark's 2012 set of three computer-vended stamps features native birds. They are, from top to bottom:

European greenfinch (Carduelis chloride)
hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)
Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

Gabon
Birds
April 17, 1989
100f White-crested Tiger Heron (Tigriornis leucolopha)
175f Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus)
200f Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill (Lophoceros camurus)
500f Blue-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon malimbica)

Latvia chose the pretty black and white Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba) for their EUROPA stamps of 2019. These birds run, wagging their tails, across the lawn in pursuit of small crawlies.

These two have been shared here, but these are postally used for your amusement!

;-)

Kosovo included the great tit (Parus major), the red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) and the rock thrush (Monticola saxatilis) in their sheet for the EUROPA stamps this year. (The great tit is possibly a youngster because the colors of adults are much more clearly defined. photo)

Finland 2019

Stanton, Michigan (unknown bird type):



Finch, Montana:

Ah yes... the elusive Ink Bird... very rare...

]Nice bird cancels hy-brasil! Had not seen those before.

In 2011, the United Kingdom issued a set of 6 computer-vended stamps featuring native birds. One of these is the common blackbird, or Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula).

From Wikipedia, "in medieval times the practice of placing live birds under a pie crust just before serving may have been the origin of the familiar nursery rhyme."

Denmark chose a family of mute swans (Cygnus olor) for their EUROPA stamps this year.

"Seagulls," an airmail stamp designed by French artist Pierre Gandon (1899-1900), engraved by Charles Mazelin (1882-1968), and issued by Monaco on January 14, 1955, Scott No. C42.

- nethryk

Eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca), designed by A. Yatskevich, printed by lithography, and issued by Kyrgyzstan on August 31, 1982, Scott No. 2, plus a photo od a mambere of this species.

- nethryk

Between 1993 and '97, the Philippines issued a number of domestic rate, small format sheets of stamps highlighting the country's "National Symbols". The rates changed, but the format for these stamps was consistent, only occasionally was the size of the vignette, or a different image employed for a particular symbol.

One notable exception is the national bird. The 1993 stamp shows the Maya, or red Maya (Lonchura atricapilla) as the national bird, while the 1995 stamp shows the monkey-eating, or Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) as the national bird.

This had me wondering, how can a country have 2 different national birds? The answer is simple...it's politics. From ABSCBN News website, "Through Proclamation No. 615 signed by then President Fidel V. Ramos, the Philippine eagle became the national bird', a national treasure found only in the Philippines', and thus a source of national pride."

So, how did the monkey-eating eagle become the Philippine eagle? Again, from ABSCBN News, "However, in 1978, former President Ferdinand Marcos , through Proclamation no. 1732 changed its name to Philippine eagle after it was proven the eagle does not feed exclusively on monkeys."

On the internet, there is still a debate going on about whether or not the Phillipine national bird should have been changed.

Peru
Parrots of Peru
May 5, 2006
Orange-cheeked Parrot (Pyrilia barrabandi)
Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet (Touit huetii)
Black-headed Parrot (Pionites melanocephalus)
Chestnut-fronted Macaw (Ara severus)
Festive Amazon (Amazona festiva)
Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna)