New Europa 2019 stamps

National Birds

 Sweden

Date of Issue : 9 May 2019

Blackbird

Selected for the national bird of Sweden for the second time. The beautiful  blackbird breeds both in the city, in the countryside and in the woods, and is found throughout the country, with the exception of the mountain range.

Spain

Date of Issue : 23 April 2019

Spain issues a Premium Sheet with six stamps, which has as protagonist the lammergeier. The flight of the bearded vulture over the Pyrenees impresses everyone who has the opportunity to see it.

This bird is adapted to live in the harsh conditions of the high mountain. Its anatomy is unmistakable. It is a large bird that can reach more than 2.80 meters.

Normally it does not emit any sound being a quite silent bird, but during the time of estrus, it produces long and piercing whistles.

Its name is due to the way it has to feed itself. It is the last link in the use of the carrion because it is nourished by bones and tendons thrown from a certain height against the rocks to cut them. The area where this activity is carried out is called "breakwater".

Andorra  ( Spanish Post )

Pit-roig

Date of Issue : 26 April 2019

The European robin, known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in the British Isles, is a small insectivorous passerine bird, specifically a chat, that was formerly classified as a member of the thrush family but is now considered to be an Old World flycatcher.

Austria

Seeadller

Date of Issue : 9 May 2019

The white-tailed eagle is a very large eagle widely distributed across Eurasia. As are all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae which includes other diurnal raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers.

Europa 2019 : National Birds

National Bird of Gibraltar :The Barbary Partridge 

Date of Issue : 5 February 2019

 The Barbary Partridge, Alectoris Barbara, belongs to the family Phasianidae, and is distinguished from other partridges by its blue-grey bib framed with chestnut brown. It is described as having ‘a brown crown/ventral nape which shows up well on raising, resembling a Mohican haircut’. The partridge’s plump body and short bill are typical of Gallinaceous birds, which include pheasants and grouse. Gibraltar’s Barbary Partridge will never be prized for its song which is described as a ‘series of shrill, broken monosyllable clucks with interposed double notes’ (scan the stamp with the Cee-app to listen to the bird). Its meat however might be a little more appealing to some, and that is possibly how the birds originally came to the Rock.

Predominantly a North African species, Gibraltar is the only mainland European location for a self sustaining wild population (they are also found off shore in the Canaries and Sardinia).

It is unclear whether the birds were imported during the Moorish occupation of the Rock, brought over by the British in the mid 1700s as part of a consignment of ‘game from Barbary’ or if the population is indigenous. Possibly the answer lies with a combination of all three. Fossil remains of Alectoris partridges dating from the late Pleistocene epock ( 1.6 to 0.01 million years ago) have been found on the Rock, but it is possible that these birds were ancestors of the red-legged partridge. Alectoris rifa, which is common in Spain but not found in Gibraltar.

Genetic Research as part of the programme agreed with ASC Systems is planned to try to determine whether the Gibraltarian Barbary Partridges are genetically different from the population in North Africa and elsewhere and this should establish their origins. The first record of Barbary Partridges on the Rock was noted by the Reverend John White in 1771 and at this time they were well established in the open scrub of the Upper Rock which was kept clear by grazing goats.

Their range and number have dwindled in recent years as a result of several factors. The first is loss of open vegetation due to the growth of dense scrub and woodland on the Rock. This denies the birds their preferred low scrub for nesting and open ground for foraging. Disturbances, illegal catching of young and heavy predation by feral cats has worsened the situation even further to the point that perhaps only 30 pairs remain.

Source : Gibraltar Stamps

Europa 2019 Theme - National Birds

National Birds

Isle of Man - Stonechat

Date of Issue : 12 February 2019

Europa stamps, bearing the official logo, are issued every year by the members of PostEurop, the trade association which represents the interests of European public postal operators. Aiming to build awareness of the common roots, culture and history of Europe and its common goals, EUROPA stamps are eagerly sought after by collectors around the world. Each year a theme is set for members to interpret and illustrate on a set of stamp.

The theme of this year's Europa stamps is " National Birds".Here are images of new stamps to be issued by Postal Administrations of Isle of Man, Liechtenstein and Jersey.

Liechtenstein : Golden Eagle

Date of Issue : 4 March 2019

 As Liechtenstein does not have a national bird of its own, Philately has decided to depict the impressive golden eagle and is presenting it with the two motifs “Golden Eagle Approaching” and “Golden Eagle on the Lookout” (face value: CHF 1.50 each) as a combined print on a small sheet of 10 stamps.

Owing to Liechtenstein’s small size and the home range of around 50 square kilometres that a golden eagle maintains, the country only has a few pairs of these birds of prey. The king of the air as the bird is also often called has dark brown feathers with a lighter golden brown head and neck. It has a wingspan of more than two metres and its prey includes mammals, birds and carrion. Golden eagles usually live in the open space of mountains above the tree line but in the winter it will also forage for prey in lower regions. A pair of golden eagles has different eyries that they alternate in using for their broods. In contrast to other birds, the voice of the golden eagle is rarely heard.

Jersey : Swan and Kingfisher

Date of Issue : 5 March 2019

As birds by their very nature are migratory and representative of countries all around the world, six species which can be sighted in Jersey feature on the stamps, together with the traditional symbolic meaning with which they are associated. Two stamps featuring Swan and Kingfisher have EUROPA logo.

50p - Kestrel - Vision and patience

65p - Swallow - Hope and renewal

76P - Swan - Purity and love

82p - Peacock - Glory and dignity

94p - Kingfisher - Peace and calm

£1.12 - Stork - New beginnings and commitment

**Special Feature**

Scan the swan and kingfisher stamps with your mobile phone, using the free CEE-App, and you will be able to hear the bird sounds.

Stamp Images : Courtesy : Europa Stamps, Jersey Post