Unique Conservation stamps with a twist from New Zealand

 

Date of Issue : 3 September 2014

Hi !

I am  sharing here new unique stamps on endangered Sea birds, issued by New Zealand Post. Our distinguished Reader Corinne Pegler from New Zealand shares here  information about these  stamps. Thank you very much Corinne for the information . Each of the five stamps features an image of the endangered bird with a smaller silhouette printed in thermo chromic ink. If you warm up face of the stamp (with your finger, for example), the birds turn translucent and disappear, mimicking the decline of the populations of these creatures.

New Zealand’s unique marine environment is home to a diverse range of seabirds, giving New Zealand the title of ‘seabird capital of the world’. Five of our most endangered seabirds are featured on this unique stamp issue that uses thermo chromic ink to reflect the disappearing nature of these precious birds.

Of the approximately 10,000 known species of birds, seabirds only make up a very small fraction with just approximately 360 in the world. Seabirds are classified as birds that almost exclusively feed on food from the ocean, and while some thrive in New Zealand with populations in the high thousands (if not millions), other birds are not so lucky.

Featured in this special conservation issue are five breeds of seabirds found in New Zealand – the Antipodean Albatross, the New Zealand Fairy Tern, the Chatham Island Shag, the Black-billed Gull and the Chatham Island Taiko. All five species are considered ‘nationally critical’. According to the Department of Conservation, this means that there are either less than 250 mature breeding pairs or there has been more than a 70% decline in their population over ten years or three generations (whichever is longer).

Threats to these species and other endangered seabirds include introduced predators, modification of seabird breeding habits and marine pollutants that enter the marine environment.

 

 

Endangered Seabirds

  80c – Antipodean Albatross

The Antipodean albatross is a large albatross that breeds almost exclusively on the Auckland and Antipodes Islands. They are masters of low-energy flying and forage over the contintental shelf edge and deep water areas.

$1.40 – New Zealand Fairy Tern

The New Zealand Fairy Tern is the most threatened of New Zealand’s birds. Its tiny population of around 50 birds is seriously threatened by introduced predators, human disturbance, habitat loss and coastal development.

$2.00 – Chatham Island Shag

Restricted to the Chatham Islands as their name suggests, this large black and white shag, is a conspicuous bird along the rocky coastlines. Colonies and roost sites are located on rocky headlands and islets and there is one colony in the Te Whanga Lagoon.

$2.50 – Black-Billed Gull

Black-billed Gulls are strongly colonial and breed predominantly on braided rivers from the coast to the headwaters. The species is found throughout New Zealand but is most common east of the southern divide in the South Island and in Southland.

$3.00 – Chatham Island Taiko

One of the world’s rarest seabirds, the Chatham Island Taiko’s population is estimated at less than 200. The only known breeding site is at the southern end of main Chatham Island. The bird was known from only one specimen captured at sea in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean in 1867.

Club News

New pictorial cancellation from Germany

On October third 2014 a new pictorial cancellation will be issued in 65549 LIMBURG. The cancellation is featuring a Sea trout(Salmo trutta). Interested philatelists may please contact:
Wolfgang Beyer, Vice Chairman of the German Philatelic Collector Group ARGE ZOOLOGIE.
Mail: Wolfgang.beyer1@aol.de . Postage rates: 0,75 Euro AIRMAIL, 2,90 Euro Registered AIRMAIL.

Courtesy : Wolfgang Beyer & Wolfgang Hoelzl.

THÜBRIA 2014

A philatelic exhibition will be held  from October 3rd to October 5th 2014  in Greiz, a small town in Germany (Thuringia). The chairman of the exhibition is Mr. Lothar Fritz, chairman of the German Collector Group from the  town  of Greiz . More as 70 exhibits in more as 400 frames will be shown from exhibitors of Germany and other countries from Europe. During THÜBRIA will be held a meeting and a special show with exhibits of the German Collector Group ArGe BRAZIL(collectors of brazilian philately),a meeting of the German Collector Group ArGe Hungary (collectors of hungarian philately) and a meeting of the German Collector Group ArGe Czechoslovakia (collectors of chzechoslovakian philately).

Mr. Wolfgang Beyer as Vice Chairman of the German Collector Group ArGe Zoologie (collectors of philatelic items about animals) and contributor of Rainbow Stamp Club will  show a presentation
of Indian Philately with books (from Mr. Madan Middha and Mr. Abhai Mishra ),modern stamps  and miniature sheets from India,Customized sheetlets ,special covers and Meghdoot postcards.