Exotic Birds on new stamps from Romfilatelia

Date of Issue : 14 August 2019

Here is a wonderful set of stamps recently issued by Romfiletelia. The stamps feature colorful exotic Birds. Its a beautiful set of stamps and First Day covers featuring 7 lovely birds. 'Birds'  is one of the most popular topics among stamp collectors. This set will definitely attract every bird lover as well as  Thematic collector !

The bird of the big paradise - Paradisaea apoda, is illustrated on the first stamp of the show, with the value of 1.40 lei.

Measuring approximately 33cm, it is one of the most beautiful birds in the world, despite its bright appearance and is difficult to detect in the forest environment.

Birds of paradise are part of the family Paradisaeidae, family comprising over 50 species of birds characteristic forested regions of New Guinea, the Moluccas et and northern Australia. An original feature of these birds is formed by the highly modified ornamental feathers. The sexual dimorphism is very pronounced, the females having the dark unicolored plume, while the plumage of the males is very alive and varied in color, thus being considered among the most beautiful birds in the world.

Their shrill cry, which sounds like an echo through the forest, is the element that betrays their presence. They drop down from the branches in the crown, launching their cries very quickly, about one per second.

Males live in groups, separated by females, and gather near certain trees they use during mating rituals. They feed on what they find on the trunks of the trees, but also with molluscs, arthropods, reptiles, fruits and seeds.

They nest in the trees, making a nest in the shape of a cup. The tip consists generally of two very variable eggs in terms of color.

The Quetzal - Pharomachrus mocinno , shown on the stamp with the face value of 1.60 lei , is part of the Trogonidae family , and can be admired in areas of North and South America, where it populates forests from altitudes between 1200 and 3000 m high. .

The name "Quetzal" itself comes from the Aztec word "quezalli", which means beautiful or precious, which is also why it has become an endangered species. Quetzal is admired by people for a long time, being the national bird of Guatemala since 1871 and considered a symbol of the gods by the Aztecs of Central America, and the feathers could only be worn by the tribal chiefs. The second largest city, after the capital city of Guatemala City, is called Quetzaltenango (which translates to "Quetzal Place"), which shows the appreciation for this very special bird. The bird attracts curious tourists and brings important incomes from tourism.

Considered one of the most spectacular birds in the world, Quetzalul lives between southern Mexico and Panama, being very easy to spot due to the plume of very bright colors.

Their chest is bright red, contrasting with the feather of the jade color, and the white cod feathers, contrast with the green cod feathers.

During the mating period, these are the easiest to observe, especially because the male undergoes physical changes, growing long feathers (which can measure up to 1.40 m). They can also be twice the length of the body and reach the true tail. These new feathers are protected by the male, by modifying the flight, he first leaning back, and not in front, as the birds generally do, so as not to damage them.

The nesting period lasts from March to June. During the egg hatching period (blue), the females sit in the nest with their face facing the entrance and hold their feathers bent. This period lasts from April to August, the bird stopping twice, often preferring to do so with other birds in holes of rotten trees.

The red- breasted toucan ( Ramphastos dicolorus ), illustrated on the stamp with the value of 1.70 lei , is a bird of the Ramphastidae family living in southern and eastern Brazil, Pantanal in Bolivia, eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina. It is found primarily in the Atlantic forest. In general, it is quite common and yet it is the attention of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

It is one of the smallest species of toucans, with a weight of 265-400 grams and a total length of 40-46 cm. Its beak is one of the shortest of these species of toucans, only about 10 cm long. His chest is, in fact, orange, with yellow on the sides. The beak is mostly pale green.

Toucans are monogamous birds, forming pairs for life. They are arboreal birds and nest in tree holes, the females laying 2-4 white eggs. The incubation period is 2-3 weeks. The chicks do not leave the nest for 2 months and only after this period begin to fly. Toucans are consumers of fruit, but they also feed on insects and other small prey.

The northern royal lizard - Onychorhynchus mexicanus, represented on the stamp with the face value of 3.10 lei , belongs to the Tityridae family .

It measures approximately 18 cm and is easily recognizable by the distinctive ridges of the ridge, which it rarely shows outside the mating period. The head and wings are brown, with the sides of the head more gray. It has a white neck, with a gray chest, the ventral parts are yellow, and the tail has a cinnamon color, with the tip closed. The spectacular element of this species is the ridge, which is folded over the head, in the form of a semicircle, which, when unfolded, is red with blue marks.

What is truly spectacular is their shout, composed of a series of whistling notes.

It is found in the southeastern parts of Mexico, northwestern Peru and Bolivia, in Venezuela or southeastern Brazil. Its natural habitat consists of subtropical or tropical moist forests.

The American flamingo - Phenicopterus ruber , whose image is reproduced on the stamp with the value of 5 lei , is a gregarious bird, belonging to the family Phoenicopteridae . Measuring 145 cm, the American flamingos is an easily identifiable bird due to the glossy feather, with reddish tints on the neck, and the body has a pale pink hue, like the beak, which has a black tip. The wings have feathers and portions of black. The arched and thin neck and the long, delicate legs were represented even in the primitive rock paintings.

The very special color is given by the omnivorous food, consisting mainly of algae and small living things. The way it feeds is completely unique and unique, with the flamingos walking their heads underwater, using their long neck, which allows for the filtering of a large amount of water, while flowing with the unusual bumps from one side to the other. Because of the way they feed, they are vulnerable to changes in habitat, such as pollution in the areas they populate.

Flamingos are gregarious birds in all seasons, forming huge and dense colonies during the breeding period, in which each pair defends its restricted territory around the nest. They are monogamous birds.

The nests are cone-shaped, and are constructed of mud, with a slight depression at the top. I deposit a single tip per season, usually consisting of a single egg. Incubation is provided by both sexes for 27-31 days.

American flamingos live in the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, the northern coast of South America and the Galapagos Islands.

The bird of paradise Carabinier - Ptiloris magnificus , illustrated on the last stamp of the series, with the face value of 19 lei , is a member of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes , being easily recognizable due to the color of its plume. It measures up to 37 cm, the males have a dark color and a short tail, the beak is long and an iridescent bluish portion on the crest and chest, and the females have the elongated beak and are brown in color, with stripes on the ventral sides.

The distinctive parade of the male of this species involves the swelling of the feathers on the chest and the extension of the wings, exposing itself especially in tall trees and climbing plants.

The nest of these birds has a deep dome, often built in a palm tree or similar trees.

They are widespread in the region of New Guinea and Queensland, Australia, preferring forest areas usually located at higher elevations and feeding on fruits and invertebrates.

The wonderful hummingbird - Calothorax pulcher, a bird illustrated on the two envelopes on the first day of the show, is part of the Trochilidae family , a large family of over 400 species spread only in the New World, from Alaska to the Fire Country, from the shores of the oceans. to the eternal snow of the mountains, but the family is best represented in the tropical area of ​​South America.

Known as one of the smallest birds on Earth, the wonderful hummingbird measures 5cm on average. It is easy to recognize, due to the multicolored plume, the males having the green-gold dorsal parts, with the black tail and wings, the whitish ventral parts, greener on the flanks, and on the neck they have a dark pink feather collar with purple markings. A distinctive feature is the long, narrow, curved and black beak.

The females do not have a bright color on the neck, have a light yellow hue

on the ventral sides and a pale gray stripe under the eyes, the tail feathers being predominantly black, with a brown base and white tip.

Club News

Stamp Design competition in Akola

A stamp designing competition for 2019 children's Day was organized by India Post in Akola on 12th September 2019.  40 students participated in this competition. They drew  beautiful designs on the  subject of "Child Rights".

These designs will be sent to New Delhi for final selection of the design for 2019 Children's Day stamp.

These designs were exhibited .at Nishu Nursery & Kothari Convent School, Gaurakshan Road, Akola 444 001. Maharashtra.

-Ajay Agrawal, Akola