New Issues, News

International Falcons and Hunting Festival

Leave a comment

Al Mazayen Championship 2020-21

Written by Steven Ardron

Introduction

In January 2022, Qatar Post issued a sheetlet of six stamps (all priced at 3.50 Rials) illustrating three images of a Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) and three pictures of a Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus).  The stamps commemorate the International Falcons and Hunting Festival which I understand the Qatari Society of Al Gannas helps sponsor each year.   The Society itself has interests in falconry as well as scientific and veterinary research into falcons and hawks in Qatar, including their migrations

continue reading
New Content

Republic of Niger – Endangered Birds

Leave a comment

Written by Steven Ardron

In May 2022, Stamperija issued for the Niger postal authority a sheetlet of four stamps which features Endangered Birds.

The sheetlet depicts the following birds: Top-left: Giant Ibis (Thaumatibis gigantea) from the family of Ibises and Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae) which has “Critically Endangered” status; Top-right: Mauritius Kestrel (Falco punctatus) from the family of Falcons (Falconidae) which has “Endangered” status; Bottom-left: Golden-cheeked Warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) from the family of New World Warblers (Parulida) which has “Endangered” status; and Bottom-right: Negros Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba keayi) from the family of Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae) which has “Critically Endangered” status.

The two top row birds have previously appeared on stamps: the Giant Ibis, about five times; and the Mauritius Kestrel, about 10 times.  The most recent issue of the Mauritius Kestrel was by Mauritius Post, as reported in a previous blog article.

more >
New Content

The Blue Flamingo

Leave a comment

Written by Steven Ardron

Mention “the Blue Flamingo” and I immediately think of a seedy nightclub in a 1940s film noir, possibly starring Alan Ladd, William Bendix or Robert Dennehy. But perhaps that was the Blue Dahlia. So, it was rather uplifting to meet, for the first time, the real Blue Flamingo from the bird world. Though I am not sure that you would find too many of these birds in Grenada.

This is perhaps because the supply of blue shrimp is not sufficient to sustain the bird. Interestingly, both the IUCN Red List and Birds of the World are silent on the Blue Flamingo, which leads me to conclude that it is in the “Data Deficient” conservation category, that I have come across for a few birds that I have looked at in stamp issues.

continue reading>
New Issues, News

Mauritius – New National Bird

Leave a comment

Mauritius Kestrel (Falco punctatus)

Written by Steven Ardron

Introduction This news item, about the new National Bird of Mauritius, is courtesy of the May 2022 edition of Stamp Magazine, supplemented by information from the Mauritius Government website.

On 12 March 2022, the Republic of Mauritius celebrated its 30th anniversary.  As part of these celebrations, Mauritius Post issued a single new stamp illustrating the Mauritius Kestrel (Falco punctatus) as the new national bird, replacing the extinct Dodo. 

The Mauritius Government website says of the new national bird:

“The Mauritius Kestrel (Falco punctatus) is unique to Mauritius and is one of the nine endemic bird species still left on the island. The species was saved in-extremis with an increase from just four birds in 1974, including a single breeding female, to a peak of about 600 individuals. However, because of the degradation of the Mauritian native forests, the kestrels are now found only on the eastern and western part of the island – where they continue to face the effects of habitat degradation and predators. The actual population of the Mauritius Kestrel in the wild amounts to some 350 individuals“

Hopefully, the nomination of the Mauritius Kestrel as the new national bird will give greater impetus to conservation efforts both by the public authorities and wildlife and bird protection charities.

CONTINUE READING
Conservation, New Content

UK Habitat Wildlife Conservation Stamps

Leave a comment

Introduction

The Wildlife Habitat Trust (WHT) is an organisation that dates from 1986, when members of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) got together to create an entity that has as its aim to raise and distribute funds to acquire land for shooting and conservation.  Today, the WHT provides grants to help manage sites for wildlife and more recently, has been involved in providing support for local and national biodiversity plans.

The Wildlife Habitat Conservation Trust (WHCT) is the charitable organisation (registered charity 1013816) that manages the UK Habitat Conservation Stamp Programme.   A major part of the UK Habitat Stamp income is used to assist habitat conservation across the UK.  Working with government agencies, the income from UK Habitat Stamps has helped contribute to acquisition and management of some important wetlands, some of which are Ramsar sites.

The UK Habitat Stamps

The WHT has issued a UK Habitat Stamp annually since 1991, based on specially commissioned wildlife artwork, which generally features a waterfowl as the central image. The WHT has always priced the stamp at £5.  In creating the UK Habitat Stamp, the trustees of the WHT were inspired by the success of the US Federal Duck Stamp programme, which has been raising funds for wetlands conservation since 1934, the date of the first stamp issue.

CONTINUE READING