FlightIn Colour Newsletter of THE BIRD STAMP SOCIETY Sept Shelley’s Eagle Rufous Owl Exciting Packet Is it a 2015 Owl News Parrotfinch? Vol. 30 No.1 See page 20 See page 25 See page 14 See page 29 September 2015 Vol. 30 No. 1 FLIGHT Page 1 Early Birdlife Issues of the Commonwealth - S (part 2) By John Graham South Georgia and South Orkneys - (Falkland Islands Dependencies) 14.7.1941. SGB3 (146 Falkland Islands). 2d. Black and Carmine-red. Black-necked Swan (Cygnus melancoryphus). Recess - Bradbury, Wilkinson. Perf. 12. Wmk. W9 - Multi Script CA. Designer - G. Roberts. The Black-necked Swan is the largest waterfowl native to South America, and breeds in Chilean Southern Zone, Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and on the Falkland Islands and is found in freshwater marshes, lagoon and lake shores. In the austral winter, these birds migrate northwards to Paraguay and southern Brazil. Like its nearest relatives the black and mute swan, this swan is relatively silent and, also, unlike most wildfowl, both parents regularly carry the cygnets on their backs. The female lays 4-6 eggs in a nest of vegetation mound. The diet consists mainly of vegetation, insects and fish spawn. Sudan - (Anglo-Egyptian Condominium) 1.9.1951. SG124. 2mms. Black and Bright-blue. Whale-headed Stork (Balaeniceps rex). Typo. Perf. 14. Wmk. W7 - CA over Crown. Chalk-surfaced paper. Designer - Colonel W.I. Atkinson. The Shoebill, or Whale-headed Stork, is distributed in freshwater swamps of central tropical Africa, and occurs in extensive, dense freshwater marshes. Although their distribution seems to correspond with the distribution of papyrus in central Africa, theys seem to avoid pure papyrus swamps and are often attracted to areas with mixed vegetation. More rarely, the species has been seen foraging in rice fields and flooded plantations.Shoebills are largely piscivorous but are predators of a considerable range of wetland vertebrates. Preferred prey include marbled lungfish and Senegal bichir, as well as various Tilapia species and catfish. Other prey include frogs, water snakes, Nile monitors and baby crocodiles. More rarely, turtles, snails, rodents and small waterfowl have reportedly been eaten.The shoebill is normally silent, but they perform bill- clattering displays at the nest. Western Samoa - (United Nations Trust Territory) 10.3.1952. SG223. 5d. Brown and Deep-green. Tooth-billed Pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris). Recess - Bradbury, Wilkinson. Perf. 13. The Tooth-billed Pigeon, also known as the manumea, is a large pigeon confined to undisturbed forests of Samoa in the Pacific. Natural habitats in Samoa include the Central Savai'i Rainforest, Tafua Preserve, Fagaloa Bay – Uafato Tiavea Conservation Zone on Upolu Island, and Nu'ulua island. Little is known about the ecology and biology of this bird but it is believed to feeds on the fruits of Dysoxylum, a tree in the mahogany family. Manuscripts from the 1800s suggest chicks arenfined to the forest floor. It has no close living relative, but it has been shown to be genetically close to the dodo (Didunculus means "little dodo"). The species was found in late 1839, by the United States' Exploring Expedition under Commander Wilkes. This species is listed as Critically Endangered. Page 2 FLIGHT September 2015 Vol. 30 No. 1 Seychelles - (Crown Colony) 21.2.1962. SG196. 5c. Multicoloured. Black Parrot (Coracopsis barklyi). Photogravure - Harrison. Perf. 14½ x 13½. Wmk. W12 - Multiple St. Edwards Crown Block CA. Designer - V. Whiteley. The Seychelles Black Parrot is a sombre-coloured parrot endemic to the Seychelles, and is found only on the island of Praslin where it inhabits woodland, scrubland and gardens. The diet is mostly fruit, both wild and cultivated, as well as flowers and buds. This bird breeds in deep cavities of old tree trunks with good cover, where they lay 1-3 eggs. Since 1988 it has been recorded on neighbouring Curieuse where it has been seen feeding, but there is no evidence of breeding. Swaziland - (British Protectorate) 24.4.1962. SG96. 5c. Red, black and Orange-red. Long-tailed Widowbird (Euplectes progne). Photogravure - Enschede. Perf. 13 x 14. Wmk. W12 - Multiple St. Edwards Crown Block CA. Designer - Mrs. C. Hughes. The Long-tailed Widowbird is found in Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and southern Zaire, and are usually found in swampy grassland in flocks consisting of one or two males and a number of females. The diet consists of seeds, supplemented occasionally by beetles, cicadas, aphids and spiders. When flying, the males are readily visible due to their extremely long tails. Between 6-8 of their twelve tail feathers are approximately 20 inches long. The tail during flight display is expanded vertically into a deep, long keel below the male, measuring between 20 to 78 inches, as he flies with slow wingbeats above his territory. Singapore - (Internal Self-Government) 10.3.1963. SG74. 50c. Multicoloured. White-rumped Shama (Copsycus malabaricus). Photogravure - Harrison. Perf. 13½ x 13. Wmk. W12 - Multiple St. Edwards Crown Block CA. Gum Arabic. The White-rumped Shama is a shy and a very territorial bird native to South/Southeast Asia. They have been introduced to Taiwan where they are considered an invasive species, eating native insect species and showing aggression towards native bird species.Their habitat is dense undergrowth, especially in bamboo forests. They breed from January to September laying a clutch of 4-5 eggs in a nest placed in the hollow of tree. The nests are made of roots, leaves, ferns, and stems, and incubation lasts between 12-15 days. During courtship, males alight above the female, give a shrill call, and then flick and fan out their tail feathers. This is followed by a rising and falling flight pattern by both sexes. If the male is unsuccessful, the female will threaten the male, gesturing with the mouth open. Samoa - (Independent) 29.12.1965. SG263. 8d. Multicoloured. Red-tailed Tropic bird (Phaethon rubricauda). Photogravure - Harrison. Perf. 14½. Wmk. W61 - Kava Bowl (sideways). Designer - L.C. Mitchell. The Red-tailed Tropic bird nests on oceanic islands, from the Hawaiian Islands to Easter Island, and across to Mauritius and Reunion Island. When breeding, they form large colonies, mainly on coral atolls with low shrubs, nesting under- neath them or occasionally in limestone cavities. After breeding is com- pleted they disperse widely; birds ringed in Hawaii have been found as far away as Japan and the Philippines, and their range is from the Red Sea to New Zealand and Chile.They feed off-shore away from land, singly rather than in flocks, and are plunge-divers that feed on fish, mostly flying fish, and squid. Strong winds can blow them inland on occasions, ex- plaining why some sighting records are away from the coast and their preferred habitats. September 2015 Vol. 30 No. 1 FLIGHT Page 3 Solomon Islands - (British Protectorate) 12.11.1975. SG285. 1c. Multicoloured. Golden Whistler (Pachyc- ephala orioloides). Lithography - Questa. Perf. 14. Wmk. W12 - Multiple St. Edwards Crown Block CA. Designer - G. Drummond. (obliterating bars over ‘British’. The Oriole Whistler is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family, endemic to the Solomon Islands, and the islands of Bougainville and Buka in far eastern Papua New Guinea. It is considered a subspecies of the widespread Golden Whistler. The Oriole Whistler is found throughout the Solomons, except in the Santa Cruz Islands where the males are white-throated. No further information available. Sri Lanka - (Republic) 13.12.1979. SG684. 10c. Multicoloured. Ceylon Blue Magpie (Urocissa ornata). Lithography - German Bank Note Printing Co. - Leipzig. Perf. 13½ x 14. The Sri Lanka Blue Magpie is endemic to Sri Lanka whose habitat is mostly dense, wet, evergreen temperate rain forest but is declining due to loss of this habitat. It is mainly found in small groups of up to six or seven birds and is largely carnivorous, eating small frogs, lizards, insects and other invertebrates, but it will also eat fruit. The cup-shaped stick nest is made in a tree or shrub where 3-5 eggs are laid. The eggs are white heavily spotted with brown. The Sri Lanka blue magpie has a variety of calls including mimicry, a loud chink-chink and a rasping krak-krak-krak-krak. Sierra Leone - (Republic) 29.1.1980. SG622. 1c. Multicoloured. Knysna Touraco (Tauraco persa). Lithography - Format. Perf. 14. Wmk. W14 - Multiple Crown CA Diagonal (sideways). Designer - J. Waddington. The Knysna Touraco is found in forests of West and Central Africa, ranging from Senegal, east to DR Congo and south to northern Angola. Often inconspicuous in the treetops, it is approximately 43 cm long, including the long tail. The plumage is largely green and the tail and wings are dark purplish, except for the crimson primary feathers that are very distinct in flight. This is a common bird found in climax forest with plentiful tall trees where it feeds on fruit and blossoms and lays two eggs in a tree platform nest. The call is a loud cawr-cawr. Seychelles Outer Islands - (Zil Elwannyen Sesel) 4.7.1980. SG9. 1r. Multicoloured. Madagascar Red Fody (Foudia madagascariensis). Lithography - Walsall. Perf. 14½ x 14. Wmk. W14 - Multiple Crown CA Diagonal. Designer - G. Drummond. The Madagascar Red Fody is a small bird native to Madagascar. It measures only about 5 inches in length and weighs 14–19 grams. The male is bright red with black markings around each eye, and its wings and tail are olive-brown. The female's upper body is olive-brown and its underbody is greyish-brown. This is a common bird found in forest clearings, grasslands and cultivated areas but can be regarded as a pest to rice cultivation.