Portugal-African Grey Parrot

Birds from vending machines. First issued in 2000 from a set of  four designs featuring pets  is this African Grey Parrot  (Psittacus erithacus)

USA- Blue Hummingbird

Another stylized Blue hummingbird flew in this week on a multi theme cover :) Not only that, two of the stamps were not cancelled

Mexico- Mountain Trogon

This  beautiful bird, Trogon Mexicanus ( Mountain Trogon) inhabits subtropical and tropical montane forests1000 meters abs. Stamp issued 1981, rather late usage but still valid for posting.

Ghana - Fire-crowned bishop

IN 1959 Ghana issued a set of defintive stamps with four different birds, one of them being the Black-winged Red Bishop  (Euplectes hordeaceus) which was also used on postal stationary such as this aerogram for the international postage rate of 6d at that time. The aerogram was sent from Tsito in Ghana to Sweden in 1960.  I am unable to find Tsito on Google maps, so I chose the closest place Volta.

Singapore - Crimson Sunbird

From a  Fauna/flora definitive set first issued in 2007, a huge flock of  Crimson Sunbirds   (Aethopyga siparaja) flew in from the official opening day of the Raffles Place Post office, Singapore. The sunbird is the lowest denomination of the set which ranged from 5c to $10.
The stamps on these covers are from the second printings "C"

China- Northern Goshawk

 Last of this attractive series is the second 1.50y stamp featuring a Northern Goshawk  ( Accipiter gentilis). A species in the Accipiter genus, the goshawk is often considered a true "hawk".

China-Common Kestrel

The  Common Kestrel  (Falco tinnunculus) is widespread throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and Northern America. A fast flying bird of the falcon family, small in size compared to other falcons but larger than most sonbirds. They feed on small vertebrates, a favorite being voles, but will prey on small birds if voles are unavailable .

China- Hen harrier

The second of the 1.20 y stamps of this new Chinese raptor series is the  Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus). A  migratory bird found in Europe and the Americas ,and feeds on small vertebrates.

China- Eastern Imperial Eagle

The grand Aquila eagles are amongst my favorites and here is a single theme cover featuring the Eastern Imperial eagle  ( Aquila heliaca). The Austrian-Hungarian empire once chose this large bird to be its heraldic symbol. Despite this, Imperial eagles are threatened with extinction in Southern Europe . Imperial eagles feed on hares, rodents and other small animals.

China- Raptors 2014

A fine set of raptors from China- Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Australia- Song Birds 2009

What a thrill it was to receive the full set of beautiful Australian songbirds 2009 set on cover recently. Clearly postmarked from Ouyen in Victoria. I've seen all these birds in various locations in Australia and know their calls. I am surprised the Green catbird was included as their call is more like a cat with a sore throat than a song.
Green Catbird   (Ailuroedus crassirostris)
Noisy Scrubbird  (Atrichornis clamosus)
Mangrove Golden Whistler (Pachycephala melanura)

Scarlet Myzomela   ( Myzomela sanguinolenta)

USA-Blue Hummingbird

Here is a blue-tinted, highly stylized, digital image of a hummingbird on a self-adhesive stamp from the USA which is the new postcard rate of 34 cents

Taiwan- Swinhoe's Pheasant

I was lucky enough to receive another set of the new birds from Taiwan, and here you see the se-tenant block of four with their own family pictorial postmark.

Taiwan-Swinhoe's Pheasant

Taiwan started the  Conservation of Birds  series in 2008 with the Blue Magpie.  The next  addition to the series is the endemic Swinhoe's Pheasant (Lophura swinhoii) issued on February 20, 2014.
British ornithologist and naturalist, Robert Swinhoe (1836-77) first described the species on 1862. He is also known for describing 16 other species from Formosa.
This delightful real posted FDC with the first day postmark and ordinary CDS,has the courting couple on the souvenir sheet and  the se-tenant block of four shows the family with chicks.

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